The Beauty of Grey
by Reijiro
Summary: Splinter has learnt a harsh lesson, but how can he reconcile this with his sense of honour? Will he be able to overcome his selfdoubt to rejoin his sons as their Master?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This fic is based on the original comic series produced by Eastman & Laird. Specifically Issues 1-14, 19 – 21 (Return to New York), and 48 – 62 (Shades of Grey & City at War). Tales of the TMNT number 2 & 4 can be chucked in there too (sorry I'm a bit of a 'details' person). This list forms the history, and this story starts a few months after issue 62. You probably don't need to read all this lot, I know I over write a bit too much detail anyway, so you won't be left wondering what's going on for too long (unless I want you too that is)! Needless to say, the TMNT in this are a bit 'darker' than the cartoons and some of the other comics. They also all wear red bandanas. This story may take a little while to get going, but I have quite a long arc planned for this so far… Hope I get to finish it eventually; just want to take my time to get it right.

A/N 2: Have updated this chapter with a couple of very minor edits, and made the format a bit easier to read.

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, or any related characters (much to their relief, I'm sure!) If there is anything else in this story you recognise from somewhere else, then I don't own that either.

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Splinter sat atop the cliff overlooking the winding river valley. The warm spring breeze felt good ruffling through his fur, and helped to clear his mind of distractions. He focused, allowing his heart to draw his mind to his family.

Donatello was down in the barn, using the weight bench to regain the strength in his leg. It had healed well since their final encounter with the Foot three months ago. Splinter sensed Don's thoughts drifting to the motorcycle chassis he had found at the local rubbish dump recently. Don had managed to get it back to the farmstead with the help of his brothers and Casey a couple of weeks earlier when the rest of the family had come up from New York to visit for a weekend.

The intricacies of the planned repairs and modifications filtering through Don's mind escaped Splinter. His son had a gift for understanding such things that Splinter did not share. Don paused in his exercise as he suddenly wondered how Master Splinter was doing. Not wanting to disturb his son Splinter pulled his focus away until he could observe, almost distantly, as Don's mind buried his momentary thought of Splinter under the flow of mechanics and left the bench to wander over to the bike and start to sort through his tool kit. It wasn't that Don wasn't concerned for his father; he just understood that when Splinter was ready to share his worries, he would. Until then if Splinter felt that he needed time to himself to heal from his ordeal Don would respect that.

Next Splinter allowed his mind to travel further a-field, drawn south to the metropolis of New York, and felt the faint mental pressure of thousands of unfocused souls brushing gently against the walls of his mind. Searching, he felt the glimmer of recognition. Leonardo was also meditating, using the afternoon to hone the skills of his mind after a morning of honing the skills of his body. Splinter smiled and felt Leo return the gesture. Leo's skill was still immature, emotions the clearest messages he could yet consciously receive or convey. Still Splinter felt a surge of pride as this step was mastered by his son. Leo responded with a desire for more knowledge, he had an innate sense that there was so much more he could accomplish. He knew his skill was far from perfect, it needed practice, direction and refinement. It needed guidance.

Splinter pulled back, somewhat involuntarily, from Leo's mind; felt the connection weaken almost to breaking. The core of doubt he felt at his ability to teach this skill was faintly mirrored by Leo's doubts about his own ability to learn. He had felt this hesitation from Splinter on previous occasions when they had met on the astral plane recently and thought it due to his master thinking he was not yet ready for this knowledge. Often in the past Splinter had told his son's that Ninjutsu was an art of both mind and body, but the skills involved in this art could be taxing and dangerous to those not ready to gain them. This frustrated Leo, but he respected what he thought were his master's wishes. After all, Splinter had taught them all they knew of Ninjutsu so far, and taught them well. So Leo was sure that Splinter would teach him these new skills in time.

Splinter reforged the connection with Leo's mind briefly, the mental equivalent of a father's hug. He felt Leo return the emotion and resign himself to being patient and practicing all he had learnt so far. Splinter could sense the rest of his family close by. He was sure that Leo was in the single bedroom of the basement studio apartment; the curtained doorway leading to the living area shut, somewhat ineffectively, against the sounds of sparring. Here Raphael and Casey were nearing the end of their regular afternoon session.

Splinter brushed against his son's mind to feel the exhilaration as he managed to pin Casey.   
"Heh! Eat carpet dirt bag!" Raph grunted as he shoved the side of Casey's face into the floor whilst bending Casey's arm up between his shoulder blades and grinding his knee into the small of Casey's back.   
"Get off me, you nut!" gasped Casey. Raph gave Casey one last light shove to the back of the head then got off him and offered a hand to help him to stand.   
"Gees, April is gonna flip and think I've been off fighting street scum again when she sees all these bruises you've given me."   
"Yeah, well maybe you should get out and get some real practice once in a while, your getting slow old man!" Raph teased with an evil smile.   
"OLD MAN? Hey you little snot I'm not that much older than you. You better watch what your sayin' or I'll have to beat some respect into you!"   
"Like to see you try" coaxed Raph.   
"Alright!" yelled Casey as he launched back into combat.

Splinter heaved a sigh as the sparring continued noisily. He sensed Raph and Casey unconsciously block their minds out to all but the physical exertion they both exalted in.   
"At least they are happy" thought Splinter. He knew the fierce joy that could be found in battling and defeating an opponent, but despaired that his son and his friend may never appreciate the quiet, deep contentment and ethereal knowledge that could be found in the realms of the astral plane.

Next Splinter's mind travelled through to the kitchen area of the apartment. There Michelangelo was immersed in the music from his walkman, grooving around the kitchen preparing dinner for himself and his brothers. As Splinter connected with Mike's mind he was almost overwhelmed by the steady thumping of the bass and screech of the synthesisers as Basement Jaxx roared at full volume into Mike's ears. The lyrics of the song mirrored in Mike's mind as he mentally sang along, daydreaming he was a rock star.   
"Where's your head at, at?"   
"That is a good question, my son" thought Splinter as he shook his own head to still the ringing in his ears. Mike stopped for a moment, as if unsure of what he was doing next. As the volume of the song faded away into oblivion Mike found himself wondering if Master Splinter and Don were OK, what were they having for dinner?

Mike felt a pang of loss for the old days when all the family were together, living in April's old building. So much had happened in the two and a half years since then and sometimes it felt to Mike as if everyone had changed just a bit too much, grown just a bit too distant from each other. Sure they had finally avenged the death of Splinter's Master, and the loss of their home, April's home, by killing the Shredder a year and a half ago. Then they had helped clean up the resulting gang wars that broke out in the power vacuum left in New York's underworld by Shredder's death, and even brokered a peace deal with the remains of the Foot. To Mike's way of thinking they should be living easy now, with no need to fear any further reprisals from the Foot or having any real mission to work towards.   
"Maybe that's the problem" thought Mike "we need a goal or something." Mike furrowed his brow, then shrugged and put the matter out of his mind as the next song blared into his headphones. His goal right now was to make sure the teriyaki chicken didn't burn on the grill.

Splinter sensed his son's thoughts and marvelled at the difference between the wisdom that Mike could sometimes reveal, almost accidentally, and the non-stop frivolity that he usually spouted.   
"Hmm, kids" thought Splinter with a smile. As he turned the chicken on the grill Mike found himself smiling too, he was sure that Splinter and Don were fine.

Finally, Splinter let his mind roam up to the top floor apartment. There April was sat at the kitchen table feeding Shadow from a bottle whilst reading something on the screen of the laptop set-up before her. Splinter did not understand the language of the computer program April was working on, again this was a gift he did not share with is adopted daughter. April was so engrossed with her work that her mind did not respond at all to Splinter's gentle touch.

Shadow's mind was full of simple thoughts of warm milk and sleep. She smiled a little as Splinter sent her a feeling of love and security, and then she closed her eyes, let go of the bottle she had almost emptied and fell asleep. Her dreams were vague, unformed.   
"Like a story before it is committed to paper" thought Splinter "I hope it is a happy one."

Splinter drew his mind back into himself, content that his family were all safe and sound. He stood to watch the sun setting over the hills in the distance and stretched his aging muscles. He felt the stiffness in his body start to dissipate as he started the trek back to the farm house.

As he approached the darkened house through the gathering gloom, cautiously as always, he noticed the lights on in the barn.   
"Looks like I am cooking again tonight" thought Splinter to himself. Leaving Don to his own devices Splinter entered the house and started to prepare the evening meal. He did not mind cooking; he had always found the act of preparing a meal pleasant. He was also glad in a way that Don was the only family member actually living with him at the moment. Of all his sons Don was the most patient, and the one most inclined to entertain himself. One of the traits Splinter did feel he shared with his son was the ability to enjoy one's own company.

As Splinter completed preparing the meal he heard the sounds of Don washing up in the trough outside the back door.   
"Good evening, Master. Have you had a good day?" asked Don as he entered the kitchen and started to set the table.   
"Yes my son, I have had a good day. I trust yours has been productive as well?" Don smiled to himself, Splinter was still spending the majority of his time alone, often out in the wilds of the countryside surrounding the farmstead, but at least he was starting to become more responsive and interested in conversation when he did return to the house.   
"Yeah, finally managed to fix the exhaust manifold on that darn bike, hopefully have it running soon."

Splinter served out the meal onto the waiting plates.   
"Vegetable stir-fry again Master?" asked Don, sounding a little disappointed. During her last visit April had made sure the freezer had been stocked to practically overflowing with all manner of food. However, every time Splinter cooked he made the same basic food, with no meat. Don didn't mind too much, but it was starting to get a bit monotonous. For lunch he had even dug out the Mega-meat-eaters Pizza that Mike had buried at the bottom of the freezer.   
"For special occasions, like when we visit dude."   
"There is a saying – He who cooks decides the dish" Splinter gently admonished his son.   
"Sorry Master, guess I do get a bit too caught up with my projects most nights." The two exchanged a smile and a comfortable silence fell as they ate.

After the meal Splinter relaxed at the table as he watched Don start to wash the dishes. He realized with a shock that Don was starting to lose some of his muscle tone. He had always been the leanest of his sons, eschewing the additional hours of working out his brothers undertook in favour of tinkering with gadgets or reading. This did not make Don any less effective in combat; he had an innate understanding of the physics of momentum and torque, and a keen awareness of his surroundings. His gift with technology and scientific mind allowed him to use this to his advantage. Don's style focused more on the manipulation of his opponents than overcoming them with pure force. Indeed his physic was more like that of a dancer than a fighter. Still the months of training, essentially on his own, were starting to make an impact on him.

Don performed his katas each morning, and spent time working out in the small gym the brothers had set up in the barn whilst they had all lived here. He also focused on rebuilding the strength of his leg, now that the bone had knit back together satisfactorily. While this temporary disability had also impacted on Don's ability to exercise over the past few months, Splinter still felt his muscle tone should not have deteriorated to such an extent. He was obviously starting to miss the benefits of sparring with an opponent, or three.

Splinter felt a small doubt starting to manifest in his mind. Was Don missing the old training regimes that Splinter had started the boys on years before? Of all his sons Don was the least likely to start a fight, and could live a quite happily immersed in his research and projects, not needing the path of Ninjutsu to give his life purpose or structure. However, Splinter had also taught them these skills as his way of ensuring his sons would be safe. Despite their newfound peace with their oldest enemy there would always be those who would want to hurt his family, simply because they were different. The art of Ninjutsu was Splinters legacy for his sons, his way to care for them even when he could not.   
"And that time may be soon approaching, if it is not already here" thought Splinter.

"Would you like a cup of tea Master?" asked Don as he put away the last of the clean cutlery.   
"Please don't call me that" muttered Splinter, staring out of the kitchen window into the depths of the night.   
"Sorry Master?" asked Don, surprised.   
"I am no master" stated Splinter "merely a student that presumed too much". He stood and left an astonished Don watching after him as he left the kitchen and ascended the stairs to his room.

Don cringed as he heard his father's bedroom door click shut. He felt as if he were helpless to aid him, as if Splinter was locked in a cage that Don just couldn't break open. Splinter had not told his sons the details of what had happened to him whilst they had been in New York for the final confrontation with the remnant factions of the Foot. However, all the brothers had agreed that something had changed in their father. He seemed far older, quieter and more withdrawn.

Don had asked to stay behind when his brothers had decided to return to New York with April, Casey and Shadow. At first Splinter did not seem to want him too, but once Don had explained that he felt he needed time to himself to come to terms with all that had happened and to recover from his injuries Splinter had relented, simply saying   
"It is your choice to stay, so be it".

Don had hardly seen Splinter at all during the first few days after the others left. Splinter had not even returned to the house to sleep at night, preferring his own company in the surrounding woods. It was almost as if he had reverted to living as a rat, as he had once been.

Since then Splinter had gradually started to return to the house, at first just to sleep, then to take the occasional meal. At first Don had simply left food on the table when he left the house, finding it had been taken upon his return. A few days later, Don had woken earlier than usual. When he had entered the kitchen to make himself breakfast Splinter had been there; hunched over a loaf of bread he had been eating dry. Not breaking the silence, Don had cautiously moved around the kitchen to fix himself some cereal. He had sat at the opposite end of the table from Splinter, keeping his eyes averted, showing Splinter the same respect he would a wounded animal. Splinter had slowly finished eating his fill of the bread, then left the house, not to be seen for the rest of the day. After this however, Splinter had started to join Don for breakfast, and later dinner. He even seemed to be returning to his old self a little, responding to queries and even starting a conversation occasionally.

Don was still concerned for his father, despite these improvements. He had some medical knowledge, gleaned from the internet and old text books he had managed to get a hold of, but complex psychology was out of his league. The mind wasn't like an engine or computer that could be simply stripped down and rebuilt when problems occurred. Don had suspected that Splinter was seriously depressed about something that had happened, and that he had lost some of his confidence, but this request from his father had just left no doubt in Don's mind that this was the case. He found himself wishing that Leo was here to talk to. Leo always seemed to know the right course of action to take, especially when his brothers felt lost. He thought of calling him, but knowing that Leo would leap at any chance to return to the farm to aid his father he started to think twice about it. Is that what Splinter needed right now, or would he just withdraw again? Unsure, Don decided to sleep on it.

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Leo's meditation was broken as Casey flew through the curtain in the doorway and landed heavily on the mattress next to where Leo was sitting on the wooden floor.   
"Howdy Casey, time to finish your training for today?"   
"Yeah, guess you could say that" groaned Casey as he rolled upright.   
"Good" stated Leo shortly as he stood and helped Casey back to his feet. Raph poked his head through the curtain.   
"Heh heh, you OK Case?"   
"Yeah, but just you wait green boy, I'm gonna get you for this!"   
"Not today though," interceded Leo sternly "it's time for dinner by the smell of it". Raph scowled then shrugged.   
"Yeah, whatever Leo".

As the guys made their way into the kitchen, Mike was just finishing up serving out their meal.   
"You stayin' for dinner Case? I made enough for you and April if you want."   
"Thanks Mikey, can I have it to go? I doubt April has left her computer today, what with her boss breathing down her neck to get this damn program finished. That jerk shortened the deadline to tomorrow afternoon this morning."   
"No probs."

Mikey started to pack the rice, veges and chicken into a couple of chinese take-out containers. Then he grabbed out a couple more containers and packed some of the dessert pizza he had made into them for Casey to take as well.   
"Apple and cinnamon, dude." Mikey answered Casey's questioning look as he handed him the containers.   
"Cool, April's favourite! Anyways, better catch you guys tomorrow, should give April a break from Shadow at least!"

As Casey left the apartment to head upstairs Mike sat down with his brothers.   
"You know it's a shame that Don's not here to help out April, sounds like her boss is just gonna keep tightening the screws." Raph grunted his response round a mouthful of food.   
"Yeah, but Don has his own issues to deal with at the moment, we just have to help out the best we can in the meantime." answered Leo.  
"What time did Case want us up on the fourth floor to help fix that heater tomorrow Raph?" Raph scowled up at Leo from his plate.   
"So Splinter is just an 'issue' now, huh?"   
"That's not what I meant Raph, and you know it."

Mikey shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the tension between his brothers mounted.   
"Hey guys, not tonight huh?" Both Raph and Leo turned dark looks toward Mikey, then Leo's face softened.   
"I'm sorry Mike." Raph's scowl deepened as he glanced between his two brothers then shaking his head he picked up his plate, slammed his fist onto the table and strode towards the living room.   
"I bet you are!" he shot over his shoulder at Leo as he left.

Leo clenched his fists in anger and made to stand up, but Mikey's hand on his shoulder stopped him.   
"Don't let him get to you Leo, he's just hurting too." Leo shot Mikey a quizzical glance as he sat back down.   
"Hurting?"   
"Yeah, we all miss Master Splinter, worry about him too. I just wish we could all be back together again."   
"Me too, Mikey. I thought Splinter would have wanted to return to us before now."

Leo paused, and then sighed.   
"I'm afraid that he is disappointed in us." Mike slowly put down his chopsticks.   
"Why?" Leo looked away.   
"Because we, …I, …made a pact with the Foot." Unsure what to say Mikey waited for his brother to continue.   
"What if Splinter feels we have betrayed him, …feels we have somehow joined his enemies, …dishonoured ourselves, …him?"   
"I don't know bro, but I don't think so. I mean, how can peace be dishonourable? We still got the Shredder in the end, and he was Master Splinter's enemy right?"   
"I guess so" mumbled Leo.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the long delay in updates on this story, been a bit preoccupied with my other series lately. I will try to update this story at least once a month, probably on the first Monday just to give myself a bit of a deadline (feel free to kick me if I miss it). I think I mentioned before that I really want to take my time getting this story right. As you've probably noticed each of the chapters is a little lengthier than my other stuff too. Know I could probably chop this up into smaller chapters, but just don't want too. (Gonna claim artistic licence here, forgives a thousand sins does it not? lol!)

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, or any related characters (much to their relief, I'm sure!) If there is anything else in this story you recognise from somewhere else, then I don't own that either.

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The night was clear, warm and still. Splinter sat upon the peak of the farmhouse roof. The quiet chirruping of crickets was a balm for his fractured nerves. The kiss of the night air made him shiver as the sweat evaporated from his fur. At times he wished he could go back to having sleep evade him all together. The half-memory of the nightmare, the huge bestial rat threatening his life, his soul, that grating voice.   
"Eat, or be eaten, little rat-man! I am your lord, your master, as I am to all rats."   
Then, that terrible moment; eat. The only thing you can eat; another rat.

Splinter shuddered again. He understood the lesson, acknowledged the help he had needed from the Rat King to break the taboo in order to ensure his own survival, but at what cost? The Rat King himself had been a ghost, a ghoul, a figment of Splinter's own mind? The only definite proof of the King's existence had been a rag wrapped skeleton, a human skeleton, long since stripped of all flesh by scavengers; most likely rats.

Yes, Splinter had survived the long weeks trapped in the bottom of the abandoned silo he had accidentally fallen into. His broken leg had healed and he had finally avoided starvation by feeding on his own kind. Were they his own kind? Perhaps once, but Splinter had learnt human ways from his own Master Yoshi.

Perhaps unknowingly, Hamato Yoshi had set a fine example for his pet rat. So much so that Splinter had grasped the basics of meditation within the first few months of his housing in Yoshi's dojo. Perhaps Splinter was an exceptional rat, or Yoshi's mind was close to that of an opportunistic predator. Given he was one of Japan's finest shadow warriors, skilled in the art of delivering death to even the most difficult to reach targets this is not so improbable. However it happened, owner and pet developed a mental link that allowed Splinter to learn the concepts and ways of Ninjutsu, Zen, Bushido, Japanese language and culture.

Had this link changed Splinter into something other than a rat, even prior to his exposure to the mutagen that had transformed him into a humanoid? Unlike the others, the Rat King, Splinter held the way of honour close to his heart. How could he reconcile what he had done to survive with this ethic? Splinter knew that it was possible to kill with honour, if the reason was right. He would not have asked his sons to avenge the slaughter of his own master if he had not believed this was true. However, was it right to extinguish another sentient being's existence purely to ensure your own?

The lesson had been a harsh one, and it had shaken Splinter to his core. Where once he had been so sure of what was right and wrong, he began to doubt his own judgement. Then his son's had returned, victorious. They had gained that which Splinter had never even considered a possibility before, peace with the Foot. How could he look his son's in the face when they had reached so far beyond his teachings, his expectations? He surely, they surely couldn't consider him to be their master any longer. He was just a foolish old creature who was lucky enough to have found a loving family. One he had very nearly destroyed with his own vendetta against Oroku Saki.

"The sins of the father are visited upon the son." Splinter had often contemplated the meaning of this phrase. When he had seen Donatello's broken leg, the right leg, he thought he finally understood. Splinter's right leg protested about the discomfort of sitting on the roof tiles. Splinter knew that leg would never be as strong again as it once had been. The break had been a bad one, and almost starving to death whilst it was healing had not helped matters. At least Don had recovered almost completely, and would suffer no lasting effects from his injury. That didn't assuage Splinter's guilt however.

Almost unconsciously Splinter reached out with his mind, were his sons, his family safe? He sensed Don sleeping below, his dreams filled with the technology he had been reading about before falling asleep on the telecommunications manual now tucked under his cheek. South again, Leo and Mike were both asleep as well. Leo's dreams were dark, full of doubt and concern. Splinter did not tarry, his own guilt growing as he realised he was the cause of some of his son's worry. Mike was dreaming of surfing, the imagined sunlight glinting off the water and the rush of the surf helped to lift Splinter's spirits a little.

In the apartment on the top floor of the building his sons were sleeping in, Splinter sensed that Casey was awake, just. He was tucking Shadow back into her cot after her three am feed. Casey stumbled through the dark back to the room he now shared with April. As Casey's eyes adjusted to the gloom, he gazed at the sleeping form in the bed. Splinter felt Casey's heart swell with the love he felt for this girl, and the gratitude for the way she had accepted him, and his new daughter into her life so readily. Splinter was glad. He realized that whatever befell these two in the future, they would always have each other. They were family. He was happy for them both, and Shadow.

Finally, Splinter tracked down Raph. He was trudging down the sewer tunnel that ran beneath the street outside the apartment building housing his family. Raph was tired and sore. He had gone out to get some 'fresh air', and run into some street punks mugging a young couple in a back alley. That wasn't too much trouble, more like fun, until one of the street punks had called in some reinforcements, and that had attracted the cops. Getting out of there without being seen had called for some fancy footwork, and a welcome sewer grate. Raph climbed out of the manhole that was conveniently located in the driveway of his new home, and cautiously snuck inside the building.

April had brought the apartment building from Casey's mother a few months before with the money her father had left her in his will. Finding Casey was the buildings 'handyman' had cinched the deal for April. Although she, Casey and Shadow had moved into his mum's old apartment on the top floor, and the turtles had taken over the studio apartment in the basement, the rest of the apartments were still occupied by tenants. The turtles were grateful to not have to return to the sewers after living in the fresh air of the Northampton farmhouse for most of the past two years, although they still made good use of the tunnels.

Splinter felt Raph relax as the hot water from the shower ran over him, washing away the blood and grime from his nights activities. Shortly, Raph turned off the water, gave himself a rough towelling down and wandered through to the bedroom he shared with his brothers. Without another thought he grabbed Klunk by the rough of the neck and unceremoniously dumped the cat on the floor, threw himself down on his mattress in the cats' place and was asleep almost instantly. Splinter felt a small pang of jealousy for his son, Raphael was always so sure in his self-righteousness that Splinter had sometimes wondered if he truly understood the concept of guilt.

Guilt; Splinter felt trapped by his. He knew, had told his son's countless times, the best way to relieve a problem was to talk about it. How could he though, and to whom. Splinter couldn't bear the thought of seeing his disappointment in himself reflected in his family's eyes, and how could they not be? He had failed them so badly, and worse, was continuing to do so. He knew that their worry about him was fuel for the rifts that were starting to come between his sons. Splinter realised in his heart of hearts that he needed to find a way, a catalyst, to break out of his depression, for his son's sake if nothing else. He was, after all, still their father.

A feeling of another presence, searching, broke into Splinters' thoughts. So preoccupied with his own thoughts had Splinter been that this caught the master almost off-guard. The presence was strong, unknown yet strangely familiar; like listening to a new song with an old melody winding through it.   
"Master Splinter, is that you?" formed soundlessly within the rats mind. Splinter did not answer, cautious and curious as to who had such control upon the astral plane yet knew his name.   
"Master Splinter, you helped me and my family once before, years ago. Please, I need your help again. Do you remember me? I am Gosei Hattori."

The greyed fur lining the back of Splinters' neck stood on end.   
"Gosei Hattori? I do indeed remember you. You have utilized your grandfathers' gift well. It is rare to find one as young as you with such a presence on the astral plane." An almost overwhelming sense of relief, hope and longing invaded Splinter's mind.   
"Master Splinter, I would not ask your aid if I had any other recourse. I know it cost you and my grandfather dearly to ensure that my ancestor's bushido spirit was passed to me. But my family is in danger again. I do not know where else to turn…"

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Donatello was roused by a familiar clawed hand gently shaking his shoulder. He groaned, it couldn't be time to get up yet. Then remembering that it had been months since Splinter had last woken him, sat up alert and concerned.   
"Master, what's wrong? Are you OK?"   
"I am fine my son, but a friend of ours is in dire need of our help; how quickly can we return to New York?"   
"Who Master?" Splinter gave him a reprimanding look, and Don remembered his order from the night before.   
"S..Sorry Father, but who's in trouble? Not April?"

Don was already out of bed, starting to search about his room for his rucksack.   
"No, not April" assured Splinter "Gosei Hattori." Don paused and cast Splinter a questioning glance.   
"Who? Oh, hang on, I remember. Wasn't he the guy whose grandfather used your body to pass on his family spirit?"   
"Yes, he is." Splinter said quietly. Don returned to searching his room, albeit not as hastily.   
"Gees, that must have been around seven years ago Mast…, er… Father. How do you know he's in trouble?"   
"Hattori-san contacted me on the astral plane last night. His story is a complex one, so it may be best if you and your brother's hear it for yourselves, but we must hurry."

It had been just before dawn when Splinter had woken Don. A short while later a very sleepy Mike had answered Don's call to let his brothers know they were returning to New York. At least Mike didn't ask too many questions, Don was grateful for that. Though he was dreading the interrogation he knew would come from Leo.

Don was driving the old jeep that Raph and Casey had originally found in the barn during their first stay at the farm, and finally gotten working after a few 'hiccups'. Over the last couple of years all the guys had worked on it in one way or another. The jeep now had a canvas lined cage over its tray, dark tinted windows, and even flaps of material that could cover the side and most of the rear windows. However, Don and Splinter were still dressed in their 'civies', just in case. The drive from Northampton was, thankfully, uneventful. However, Splinter had seemed very reserved for the whole trip, he did not start any conversation and Don found any questions he asked were firmly, but politely, rebuffed. He had soon given up trying to get any further information out of his father.

The clock on the dash read 13:17 as Don pulled into what he hoped was the right alleyway. He hadn't actually visited the apartment building before, and he was starting to feel a little nervous. He hadn't wanted to stay at the farmhouse just to keep an eye on Splinter, or to take time out to heal his physical wounds. The thought of returning to live with April, now that she and Casey were together had just been too awkward for him to face. He knew it was stupid, impossible even, but he had secretly hoped that one day he and April may have been… closer. He hadn't told anyone about his crush, and hoped he was over it by now.   
"Gees, and I'm supposed to be the intelligent one," he thought "damn hormones."

Mike was stood at the head of one of the parking bays under the overhang of the apartment building, waving them into the space. He was almost dancing with excitement, and had even forgotten to tuck the end of his bandana under his hat. He ran to the side of the car as it came to a stop and almost crushed Splinter in a hug just as he was most of the way out of the door.   
"Oh Master! Don! It's so damn good to see you again! How was your trip down? You're staying for a while, right; and what's the deal with that Gosei dude? Leo nearly flipped when I told him you were coming…" Splinter held up a finger to silence his son.   
"All your questions will be answered shortly Michelangelo, but first let us get inside where it is safe."   
"Heh, sorry Master of course. Hey Don, let me give you a hand with that..." Mike missed Splinter's pained look as he turned away to help Don unload their bags from the back of the jeep, but Don caught it. Waiting until Splinter had moved away, towards the door to the building, Don interrupted Mike's one sided conversation with a whisper.   
"Hey Mikey, remember what I told you this morning? You know, about not calling Splinter 'Master'?" Mike's usually jovial features crumpled into a frown of worry.   
"Yeah, but why, he's still our Master isn't he?"   
"Of course" answered Don reassuringly "but I think it makes him a bit uncomfortable at the moment. I'm sure he'll get over it soon. We just have to be patient and respect what he wants. You did tell Leo and Raph though, didn't you?"   
"Yeah, Leo did flip over that, he even tried calling you, but you must've left already." Don nodded. It was pretty much what he had expected.

After checking the coast was clear, the three slipped into the building and made their way down the stairs to the basement apartment. Inside the rest of the family were waiting to welcome them. Within a chorus of greetings Splinter shared brief hugs with Leo, Raph and April; clasping Casey's arm instead. Then he settled on the couch with Shadow on his lap. April gave Don a brief dazzling smile in welcome, before she sat next to Splinter. He sincerely returned the smile for a moment. Then the expression felt as if it became a brittle mask as Casey casually rested his hands on the girls' shoulders.

Don hung back near the door, letting his brothers come to him to welcome him in their own time, and staying out of Splinter's 'lime light'. Everything seemed fine, but despite his months away from his brothers Don still noticed the tension in the way they moved and shared glances. As he gave his brother a quick hug hello Leo whispered.   
"We need to talk."   
"I know, just let us get settled first." replied Don. Leo nodded slightly and then left to fetch some tea from the kitchen.

The family shared the snack and chatted pleasantly for a while, catching up on the events of the past few months apart. Don was pleased to see Splinter engaged so in conversation, whilst untangling Shadows fingers from his fur. He had been afraid that his father would reject such attention, now it seemed like he was back to his old self, almost. Leo shot him a worried glance; noticing their father winced as Mike called him 'Master' yet again. Raph caught it too, and started to pace behind the couch. It was obvious it wouldn't be long until his patience snapped.

Splinter hadn't mentioned the reason for their visit at all since they had entered the apartment, and it seemed the rest of the family had decided not to raise it first. Probably under Leo's direction, or so Don guessed. But something had to give here.   
"Ahem." Don interrupted Mike's monologue detailing the trials and tribulations of Klunks last flea bath.   
"Father, you did say there was something urgent we needed to do?" he appealed gently.   
"Ah, yes." Splinter returned Shadow to April's lap with a smile before he stood slowly.   
"I require a little time to meditate. I wish to inform Hattori-san of our arrival, and to confirm where it was he desired to meet. I have taken the liberty of assuring him that we would all be pleased to at least hear his tale in full. I hope I was not mistaken in this assumption?" All four of his sons assured him he had been correct.   
"Good. Please be ready to travel shortly. We will leave as soon as I have completed my meditation." Leo helped to usher his Sensei into the bedroom, carefully drawing the curtain closed once Splinter was settled.

"What the bloody hell is goin' on?" Raph demanded of Don in a harsh whisper. Leo joined them, the same query reflected in his eyes.   
"I'm not really sure" Don answered quietly "I think Splinter met Hattori on the astral plane last night, and now he wants us to help him out of some sort of trouble. I don't know anything more than that. Splinter wouldn't tell me any more, he insisted it was Hattori's story to tell." Mike quickly joined the huddle with his brothers. April hastily gathered the cups and plates onto the tray and carried it through to the kitchen, dragging Casey with Shadow along with her.

"Why can we no longer call him 'Master', Don? What happened?" Leo's tone was calm, sure and made it clear he expected a straight answer. Shifting a little under his brothers' scrutiny Don explained as best he could.   
"I think he has lost some of his confidence, Leo. He's actually made some pretty good progress over the last few weeks…"   
"What made him lose his confidence?" Leo's tone hadn't changed. Don sighed, realizing his brother wouldn't relent until he was satisfied, and worried that no answer he could give would do so.   
"Quite frankly, I don't know. I think it stems from whatever happened while he was alone on the farm…"   
"Has he said anything more about that?"   
"No, and I don't like to ask. It just makes him withdraw again." Leo released Don from his gaze, rubbing his chin as he pondered his next query. Mike broke the resulting silence.   
"It's not like Master not to talk about stuff, he is gonna get better. Ain't he Don?"   
"I think so Mike. It's just gonna take some time and patience. I think the best thing to do is just respect Splinter's wishes."   
"Grrr. He's still our Master, wether he damn well likes it or not. Did you tell him that?"   
"No, Raph. I didn't. He knows we'll always think of him that way. But I think…, maybe this is his way of telling us we're going to have to stand on our own feet. That there isn't that much more he can teach us, he won't always be with us you know."

Raph dropped his head, hiding his expression. Mike looked utterly horrified, but before he could protest Leo calmly interjected again.   
"That isn't true. Splinter still has plenty to teach us."   
"Like what Leo? You reckon there's some 'ultimate' move he hasn't taught us yet?" Raph snarled sarcastically. Leo fixed him with a cool look.   
"No. But there is more to Ninjutsu than fighting techniques. What about the spiritual aspects. We've only just begun to grasp the basics of..." Raph shook his head.   
"It's all bullshit Leo. You can't tell me there's anythin' actually useful about floatin' about on some friggin' 'other plane of existence'…"   
"Guys!" Don stepped between them, a calming hand on each shoulder.   
"Fighting about it isn't going to help anything. Let's just get ready like Splinter asked. We can debate the pros and cons of the spiritual plane later, huh?" Leo nodded haltingly, Raph mumbling something evil under his breath as he stepped back. Mike gave Don another quick hug, just grateful his level headed brother was back to help diffuse these kinds of situations.

Soon all four were waiting by the door, armed and disguised in their street clothes. It wasn't long before Mike was absently twirling a nunchaku, Raph was shifting about uneasily and Leo was drumming his fingers on his crossed arms. As much to distract them from their impatience as anything else, Don started to rummage through his luggage where it had been dumped just inside the door. Curious his brothers watched as he dug out a small cardboard box.   
"What's in there, Donnie? Is it a present? Is it for me?" Mike's grin widened with each query. Don couldn't help but smile back.   
"Heh heh. No Mike, or at least they're for all of us. There may still be a few bugs to work out though."

Opening the box as his brothers looked on like kids at Christmas; Don revealed five black mobile phones. The cases were a little scratched and worn, the models obviously not the latest versions they had seen advertised lately. They were all of a simple design featuring a small screen at the top and larger buttons than Aprils' current mobile had, thankfully. Tucked to one side in the box were black protective cases, and some bundles of wiring. Taking each unit out of the box in turn, Don activated each, a name appearing on the screen, and handed each to its new owner.   
"Oh! Cool in the extreme! Just what I've always wanted!" enthused Mike as he scrolled through the menu system, settling for the Games option.   
"Just a little something to help us keep in touch." Don mumbled humbly as Leo gave him a huge smile of appreciation.   
"Fuckin' great!" was Raph awed response, he too engrossed with trying to access the menu system. Before his scowl could translate to action Don gently took the handset back and showed his brother the combination of keys he needed. Raph gave him a quick half-grin in thanks, then turned away with his new toy, determined to figure the rest out for himself.   
"What's their range?" asked Leo, scrolling through the Phonebook, noting Don had already preset the numbers for each of the other phones, and every other number they already knew, including the local 'Dominos' and Chinese Take-out.   
"About twenty miles on their own internal transmitters, if that's not enough you can change the mode so the signal will 'piggy back' on the existing mobile phone frequencies. So they should be usable just about anywhere, in theory anyway." Leo couldn't help a chuckle. He'd trust his brainy brother's 'theories' over most other peoples' 'facts' any day.

"These may come in handy too." Don continued, handing out the protective cases. Each had a small unique kanji, the first symbol of each of their names in Japanese, neatly embroidered on the side in red thread. They also sported a sturdy clip on the back that had a small hole drilled through the metal at the top. To this was clipped a thin leather loop, large enough to slip over their wrists, or onto their belts. On one side of each cover a small pouch had also been added.   
"What's this for?" queried Mike, pointing to the compartment.   
"These." stated Don as he undid the bundle of wires and handed them out.   
"They're 'hands-free' kits. I'm hoping to figure out how to make them wireless, but this will do for now." Don demonstrated where the wire plugged in on his own phone, tucking the Velcro backed 'ear-piece' under his bandana, the small in line microphone dangling by his cheek.

A few minutes later Don was still taking Leo through all his phones features, Raph surreptitiously listening in next to them. Mike had dashed into the kitchen to show off his gadget to April and Casey.   
"My sons?" interrupted a curious Splinter, surprised they had not noticed him emerge from the bedroom.   
"Hey Master, check out what Donnie whipped up!" Raph practically ran to Splinter, phone outstretched, eager to be the first to show his off. Splinter's dour look stopped him short though. Indeed all three stopped at his expression to give their father a brief bow of respect. Splinter gave Don a quick smile as they straightened, before his serious look returned.   
"Are you ready to leave, my sons?"   
"Yes Splinter." Leo assured, Raph already heading to the kitchen to grab Mike.

Shortly Don and Splinter were back in the front seats of the jeep. The other three hunched in the canvas walled section at the rear. Don double checked the address on the note Splinter had given him against the map book before pulling out and heading towards Little Tokyo.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: The primary language used by the characters from this point in this fic is Japanese. Where dialogue is in English it will be written in italics. I will be using a few Japanese words and phrases, although I'm sure their meanings will be clear. If not, there is a glossary of the terms used on my profile page. I am by no means fluent in Japanese, so apologies if any of the terms are confusing or incorrect to those who are! Any corrections or suggestions will be welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, or any related characters (much to their relief, I'm sure!) If there is anything else in this story you recognise from somewhere else, then I don't own that either.

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The warehouse appeared to be deserted. It was a small structure, a little run down, tucked out of sight behind the richly coloured buildings that surrounded it. The only access for vehicles was a narrow lane way. Not that Don had taken the jeep down it. Despite Hattoris' assurances of safety Don had parked a short distance away in the maze that existed behind the façade of Little Tokyo. Now he and his family were gathered on an overlooking rooftop, having re-convened after scouting the area around the meeting place Hattori had requested.

Satisfied there were no immediate threats in or around the building, Leo led them silently through a skylight in the roof. Dropping onto a gantry they all melted into the deepening shadows pervading the interior as the last glow of sunset faded away. They hadn't been waiting long before the roller door clanked open to admit a sleek black sedan. The lone occupant lingered in the vehicle until the door had closed once more.

Tentatively, the driver climbed out of the car. He was of Japanese descent, though rather tall for his race. In his early thirties, he was dressed in a high quality black casual suit, dark grey shirt and narrow black tie. Although he was obviously a little nervous, his movements still held a degree of surety. The man turned to face Splinter just before the rat materialised from the shadows nearby, pulling back the hood of the overcoat he wore that hung almost to the ground. With a relieved smile he bowed deeply to the Master, Splinter returned the gesture before Hattori addressed him using formal Japanese.   
"Splinter-sensei, I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to hear my story in full."   
"I am happy to assist you, as are my sons if we are able, Hattori-san." Hattori glanced about the warehouse, only managing to see half of the vague but somewhat familiar outline of one of the Master's students in the shadows congealed amongst the crates behind the rat. Hattori was sure the faint glimmer of light that played briefly down the long blade in the turtles' hand was not unintentional, nor a threat.

"Be assured my sons can hear what you have to say. We mean you no disrespect. Knowing what we are I am sure you can understand why we prefer the security of the shadows. They will also keep watch for any unexpected company. Please, tell us your tale." With a brief bow Hattori began.   
"As you know, I inherited Gosei-Co from my father. What you may not know is that it is an import company specialising in the trade of exotic Asian goods. When my father first started the company he developed many strong ties with customs agencies both here and throughout Asia that facilitated the ease and speed in which we could transfer goods. Gosei-Co quickly became one of the premier companies importing anything from live Koi and whale meat to antiques and custom car parts into the USA. From the beginning it was a profitable business."

"I suppose it was inevitable that, given the nature of his company, my Father was approached by those wishing to traffic goods of a… dishonourable nature. Unfortunately, the massive profits to be had swayed my Father to engage in such trade." Hattori paused for a moment, bowing his head in shame.   
"This was the reason he was targeted for assassination, was it not?" Splinter queried gently.   
"Hai. In order to maximise the efficiency of the business, whilst supposedly reducing the risk of operating in conjunction with such joushuuhan, my Father gave many of them influential positions within Gosei-co. Unfortunately there are those whose greed exceeds what fortune grants them. When I took control after my father's death I was tempted to disband the business altogether. Despite his dishonour however, I did not wish to completely destroy my Father's legacy."

"I dedicated myself to eradicating the criminal element and it's corruption within the company. There have been times when I believed I had succeeded, only to discover such filth resurfacing again and again. Due to the positions the joushuuhan held, they were able to recruit many more into the company's ranks. I do not believe even my Father realised the extent to which Gosei-co had been tainted. Now, I am paying the price for my foolishness…"

Splinter waited patiently, eyes respectfully downcast as Hattori regained control of his emotions. The aggrieved man managed to unclench his raised fist, returning his hand back to his side and once again meeting the rats' consoling gaze with a composed look.   
"Four days ago my three year old son, Heiji, was kidnapped from our apartment. For two days we received no word from the perpetrators. Then, yesterday morning, an arrow shattered my office window. When I retrieved it from the wall I discovered this wrapped around the shaft."

Hattori fetched a crumpled piece of paper from within his jacket, offering it with both hands and a respectful bow to Splinter. Accepting the missive in a similar manner Splinter read the kanji scrawled untidily down it aloud.   
"Your son currently resides in the land of his ancestors. You are invited to join a business meeting at the Sakura Teahouse, Tokyo at 11:30am on Thursday the 28th of this month. If you fail to attend, or inform any authority of this matter, your son will go on to join his ancestors."

"_Well, no one can accuse 'em of being impolite! Ow!_" sounded from somewhere to Hattoris' left. Splinter's eyes narrowed before he bowed deeply once again, returning the note.   
"Please forgive my sons' insolence, Hattori-san."   
"Of course, Splinter-sensei." Hattori assured.   
"I am sorry for the distress you and your family must be feeling over what has occurred. However, I am unsure what we can do to help you."   
"I cannot go to the authorities, and I cannot trust anyone affiliated with Gosei-Co. I have no choice but to attend this meeting. However, I do not think it wise to attend it alone. I fear that these 'polite gentlemen' plan to use their hold over my son to coerce me into giving them a position of influence within the company and then kill me. If this were to happen Gosei-Co would fall back into the hands of the joushuuhan, and my family's Bushido spirit would be dust. I cannot allow my son to continue to suffer for my imprudence, or my ancestors to be dishonoured so."

"I have never forgotten what you did for me and my family in helping my Grandfather pass his Bushido spirit to me before he died. You are all are honourable and capable warriors. I ask that you and your sons join me at this meeting, as my bodyguards. I can arrange for you to travel in secret, and for appropriate concealment and disguise during your stay in Japan. Of course, I will also compensate you for your time. Would you accept $500.00 per day each, with all expenses incurred during your employ reimbursed?"

For a moment Splinter stood in silence.   
"It is an interesting offer, Hattori-san. Please allow me to confer with my sons for a moment." At a nod from the man Splinter disappeared back into the shadows. In the lengthening quiet that followed Hattori almost started to fear that Splinter and his sons had left before the aged rat stepped back into the feeble light seeping through the skylights.

"We are definitely intrigued by your offer Hattori-san, though we do have some queries." At Hattoris' nod Splinter continued.   
"The note did not give a specific address for the tea house, how can you be sure to attend the correct one?"   
"The 'Sakura Teahouse, Tokyo' is actually a cipher for a small establishment to the north of the city. It is owned by a local crime lord and is often utilised for meetings such as this. I have attended engagements there before." Hattori answered, looking a little shamefaced.

"It is the 26th today, when and how would we travel to Tokyo?"   
"One of Gosei-Co's largest depots is situated near Babylon in Suffolk County. Tomorrow at 3pm a cargo plane will be departing from there for Tokyo. I will be onboard, and can ensure you are also smuggled aboard with the cargo. I can assure you I will make your travel as comfortable as possible."   
"Do you know who is responsible for the kidnap of your son?"   
"I have my suspicions. But no, I do not actually know who is responsible."   
"What do you presume we can expect in terms of the number and preparedness of the foes we will be facing?"   
"I suspect that two or three men will actually meet with me. However, I would also expect them to have a few bodyguards of their own both present, and hidden from sight. It is not unusual for such bodyguards to be armed with either traditional or modern weapons, or quite possibly both. Many such businessmen also carry blades and firearms as can be easily concealed within their suits. I am sorry I cannot give you any more information regarding what we may be facing at the moment. Once onboard the plane I can supply you with a detailed layout of the establishment, and of course any further information I may uncover by then."

Splinter nodded slowly, digesting Hattoris' answers. A little hesitantly he met the eyes of the man once more.   
"I hope I do not cause any offence with my next query. However, this is a unique situation for us and I do not know how things such as this are usually done. How will we be paid and what assurances can you give that we will be?" Hattori couldn't quell the smile of relief that played across his features.   
"Rest assured you cause no offence with such a query. Most new employees ask much the same. You will each be paid in cash, in the currency of your choice, to the value of $500.00 US dollars for each day. For obvious reasons I cannot have any links to you appearing in my financial records, so cannot pay you into an account or by cheque. However, I expect this situation would be your preference anyhow." As Splinter gave a brief nod Hattori continued as he walked to the rear of the sedan. As he spoke he opened the boot, retrieving a black briefcase from within.

"As for assurances of payment I have taken the liberty of drawing up a set of promissory notes, one for each of you. Of course the notes do not detail who you are, or your services in any way. But a copy of each will be kept with my wife, Ayame. In the event that I do not return, I can assure you she will honour our agreement if you present your copies to her. Ayame is the only other person I have told about you and your assistance in the past. She understands that, despite your appearance and profession, you are honourable and would not ask for more than your due if such a situation arises. Am I right in remembering there are five of you?"

Splinter looked a little stunned as Hattori placed the briefcase on the hood of his car, opening it to fetch a clipboard, small notepad, pen and five envelopes from within before he closed it again to act as a makeshift desktop.   
"Hai, Hattori-san. You have remembered correctly." He verified as he cautiously approached. "However, I must leave the decision as to whether we sign these notes and enter your employ up to each of my sons." At that three forms coalesced from different areas of shadow along the side of the warehouse where Splinter had been stood.

The first wore a slightly tattered black 'Fear Factory' t-shirt under a dark blue hooded bomber jacket. The hilts of two sai protruded from the top of his jeans that were almost worn through at the knees, the hems tattered where they were crumpled over his large 'workman' style boots. The battered leather on his boot-tips exposed the metal beneath. The next was dressed in a long sleeved black t-shirt sporting an 'MTV' logo. His jeans were in only slightly better condition than his brothers, though the sneakers he wore had ladders splitting the material down each side. He carried his nunchucks in one hand as he adjusted his 'Yankees' cap with the other.

The last had on a baggy green woollen jumper tucked into dark grey slacks with a black belt. His Dockers were in fair condition compared to the others' footwear. Past the deerstalker he was wearing a bo could be seen protruding over his shoulder. As they came to stand beside the bonnet, Splinter motioned to each of them as he spoke.   
"Ahh. Hattori-san, if I recall our last meeting correctly, I was remiss in failing to introduce you fully to my sons. This is Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello." Each turtle bowed at his name. As Mike straightened with a huge grin he opened his mouth to say something, quickly thinking better of it as both his brothers and Sensei gave him reprimanding looks. Unable to let the opportunity go by, he settled for a sheepish,   
"_Good ta meet ya again, du…uh, Hattori-san._" as he ducked in another quick bow.

"And this is Leonardo." Splinter stated, motioning to a point behind Hattori. Turning to see Hattori started as he realised the fourth turtle was stood directly behind him. This one was wearing a black shirt under a long brown overcoat with a matching fedora. His jeans and work boots were also worn, but tidily patched and repaired where the damage was greatest. As Leonardo bowed in greeting Hattori spied neatly hemmed openings in the shoulder of his clothing that allowed the hilts of his katana to protrude.

The four appeared almost normal, at first glance. However, the way their tops were oddly stretched across their midriffs, the shoulders appearing to sit a little too high, and the inconstancy of their pants being slightly baggy in the legs, yet snugly fitted about their waists hinted at the truth of their forms beneath. Hattori guessed that most people would not be allowed such an opportunity to observe this group so closely. But as he realized more detail in the dim light he could make out the unmistakable outlines of their hidden shells, the unusual curvature of their faces, especially in profile; and, of course, their distinctive hands.

"Bonsowa-ru Hattori-san. We are grateful for this opportunity you have given us." Leonardo smiled.   
"Dozo, it is I that should be grateful for your assistance once again." He returned Leos' bow. With that Hattori turned back to the hood of his car. Picking up the note pad he secured it in the clipboard with the top two sheets sitting on the outside, the rest of the pad slotted within the two sides of the board.   
"May I see the note?" Leonardo asked. Hattori handed it over, waiting as Leo carefully read through the agreement, running a finger down each line. Hattori noticed he was wearing black leather gloves, two pairs of the fingers having been sown together in such a way as to give the illusion of human fingers being held tightly together.

"Well?" prompted Raph after a few moments of silence. Leo ignored him to fix Hattori with a level gaze.   
"It says here that we will be remunerated for two days in advance?" he asked politely.   
"Yes. There is an envelope here for each of you that accept this agreement. Inside there is $700.00 in US currency, plus 36,000 yen. That is equivalent to $300.00 US. If you accept then I will consider your employment starting tomorrow, and obviously it will last for at least two days. I consider this to be a token of my goodwill and gratitude for your assistance. Also, I would like you to feel secure that, if the worst does come to pass, you still have some resources at your disposal to facilitate your journey home again."   
"Arigato gozaimashita taihen Hattori-san. That is very considerate of you." Accepting Hattoris' pen he signed the bottom of the note.

As Leo returned the board Hattori tore off the original, handing it back along with one of the envelopes.   
"_Awesome!_" Mike murmured over Leos' shoulder as he flicked through the envelopes contents. The next note was offered to Splinter.   
"Arigato Hattori-san, but I must decline." Stunned silence met the rats' quiet refusal. As much for something to do in the awkward hush Hattori offered the board to Mike instead. By reflex the turtle reached to accept it before Raph snatched it and slammed it face-down on the hood.

"_You aint signin' that._" He muttered savagely at Mike.   
"_It is his choice, Raphael._" Splinter stated.   
"_No. None of us are signin' it till you do._" Raph levelled a determined glare at his sensei. Shifting a little uneasily Don glanced to Leo for assurance. Receiving it with a slight nod from his brother he added his assertion.   
"_I agree with Raphael, Father._"   
"_Me too._" agreed Mike, though he rested a reassuring hand on Leo's shoulder.   
"_My sons,_" Splinter explained calmly "_this is a great opportunity for you all. You should embrace it. Moreover, whilst I have every confidence in Leonardos' abilities, I would prefer that you face these foes together to ensure your safety and the success of this task._"   
"_Master._" Leo gained his fathers' attention "_I would not have signed this contract if I had realised you would not. I will not break my promise, if I must go alone I will. I do believe, however, that we need your guidance and experience in this…_"

Splinter halted Leos' appeal with a raised paw.   
"_You have all proven yourselves beyond the need for my guidance. Whilst some of your skills are still reaching their maturity, there is nothing more I can teach you that you cannot learn for yourselves, in time. I am old. My strength is not what it once was. I would be more of a burden than a help to you in this instance._" Again quiet descended as the four students absorbed their Masters' statement. Cautiously, Raph broke the silence.   
"_I'm sorry Master, but that's just… crud. We aint goin' without you._" Despite his determined tone, Raph dropped his gaze to the floor, expecting a reprimand for addressing his sensei so disrespectfully.

Instead Splinter merely surveyed each of their resolute faces for a few moments, his own stunned expression unchanging until he managed to find his voice once more.   
"_My sons…_" an unusual thread of unease in his tone.   
"Splinter-sensei," Hattori interrupted "please forgive my interference. I have great confidence in your students' abilities. However, I would prefer if you would also join in this task. I believe your contribution will still be valuable, even if it is not of a martial nature."

The greyed rat pondered for a moment.   
"If this is the only solution that will be acceptable to you all…" he glanced about at the curt nods from the rest of his family before continuing with a resigned sigh "then I will sign the document."

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"_April, we want you to have it._" Leo pushed the notes back into her hand.   
"_Alright, I'll keep it for you, but I'm not going to spend it. Just call if you need it, OK?_"   
"_We'll be fine. We still have half for emergencies. Besides we owe you much more than that for all you've done for us. Consider it rent for letting us stay here._"   
"_Gees Leo, you guys don't owe me anything. You're family, remember?_" she bit her lip to stop it trembling for a moment before she clutched him in a fierce embrace.   
"_You had better darn well keep in touch while you're away. And make sure you come back in one piece, alright?_" Leo nodded as best he could, starting to feel the need to fight for a breath. Finally April released his neck, grabbing his shoulders instead to look him in the eye.   
"_Promise me you will call when you get there, and at least every couple of days after that. OK?_" Leo took a couple of deep breaths before he answered.   
"_I promise we'll call when we can. We probably won't be gone all that long anyway. You really shouldn't worry about us like this. It is what we've trained for after all._"

April sniffled.   
"_I know. It's just that we're finally all together again, and suddenly you're all off half way round the world!_" Leo gave her a gentle hug.   
"_Don't worry. We'll be back before you know it. I bet you'll be trying to kick us out the door to get some peace again in no time._" She laughed once into his shoulder before raising her head.   
"_Yeah, right._" She admonished gently with a brave smile. With that she wandered off to attempt to suffocate his brothers and sensei as they finished packing.

At least they were travelling light. Since they were wearing their civvies to travel to the depot anyway the only things they had to bundle together were the extra weapons and gear they might need for their task, a few books Don had insisted on taking along with his old laptop and tool kit, and some medical supplies. Mike had also jammed a backpack full of provisions 'for the road'. Casey and Shadow managed to make a brief appearance to give their farewells before Don steered the jeep out into the faint pre-dawn light.

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Just before midday they pulled into the fenced lot behind a ramshackle factory building. Most of the area was covered in cracked and worn bitumen, tufts of grass and weeds starting to break through the coating in patches. Don parked their vehicle within a dilapidated metal shelter in the back corner. The only other structure in the lot was a large wooden freight container situated to one side of the entrance.

Although the surrounds seemed to be deserted, Leo and Don still approached the container with caution, uneasy at being on exposed and unfamiliar ground in daylight. A sealed plastic sachet addressed in kanji to 'Gosei-co employees only' was attached to one end of the box. Inside was a memo from Hattori explaining the container would be collected between 12:30 and 1:00 o'clock. There was also a detailed schematic of how to access a secret chamber within the container and a small key, much like an allan-key with notches along its length.

It only took a few minutes for them to get the end of the container open, exposing large bags of coffee beans stacked within a rack made of squared metal pipe. The key operated a hidden lock on one side, allowing the rack to swing out giving access to the interior. Don pocketed the key in one of pouches on his belt for safe-keeping. The chamber was low, with a few rows of the pungent bags surrounding it on each side, including the top and bottom. Only Splinter could stand at his full height within it, though it was long and wide enough for them all to sit comfortably. The chamber itself was walled with a flattened metal lattice, the hollow pipes of the racks terminating just outside it to allow air to circulate.

Inside the compartment Hattori had supplied many large, flat cushions and a small stack of blankets. There were also three red wooden boxes placed along the far wall. Leo ducked back to the others to help carry their luggage as Don investigated the packages, Mike quickly joining him after dumping his bag. The first box was insulated inside and contained a large selection of rice cakes, plus a couple of bottles of cool water. The second box was also insulated, but contained two large thermoses of hot water. Alongside these were packed ceramic cups, plastic glasses, plates, bowls and cutlery, a packet of green tea bags, sachets of miso soup powder, and a torch.

Don opened the final box as Mike busily started rummaging through the contents of the first two. His silent stare went un-noticed by his family bustling about him. Slowly he removed the flat black bag and sat back, placing it reverently on the floor in front of him. The zips hardly made a sound as he carefully drew them back to open the top flap, exposing the sleek black technology within. His appreciative whistle got his brothers' attention.   
"_What's that?_" Mike asked round a rice cake.   
"_The latest Toshiba notebook._" Don answered in awe, picking up a piece of paper sitting on top of the machine. It was a 'With Compliments' slip featuring the Gosei-co logo. Don scanned it, quickly realising it was very detailed instructions on how to start-up and access certain files on the laptop before him. The note made a brief journey over Don's shoulder before he carefully pulled the machine out to set it on his lap.   
"_You can play with that in a moment, Don. Let's get this closed up first before anyone spots us._" Leo ordered; enforcing it with sharp gesture for Don to join him despite his brother's devastated look. With a dejected sigh Don gently placed his new toy back in its case.

The metal rack was locked once more, and the outer wooden door secured with the use of a small winch to draw it closed. Automatic drop bolts located inside the frame locked the wooden portal in place.   
"_Oh damn! I need to use the bathroom!_" Mikey exclaimed as the bolts clicked shut.   
"_What!_" Leo demanded, shining his torch straight in his vexing brothers' face.   
"_Heh heh. Only kidding! Really! Guys? Oh come on, can't ya take a joke?_" Mike squirmed under the evil glares from his kin.

With a shake of his head for his brothers' antics Don quickly slipped back to where he had been sitting. Intrigued Mike plopped himself down to sit between Don and the food, Raph claiming the spot to Don's right. Leo crouched behind to peer over Don's shoulder as the notebook booted up. It seemed to take no time before a crisp image of the Gosei-co logo appeared on the screen, a small cluster of icons obscuring it in the centre.   
"_These are the site plans and other info Hattori-san promised us._" Don explained, clicking on each icon. Mikey gave an appreciative "Ooh" as the machine opened a few different programs and popped the requested files on the screen almost instantly.   
"_Gees, it's fast!_" exclaimed Raph.   
"_Yep._" Don agreed, calling up various menus and starting to reel off the systems specks excitedly. The only point that meant anything to Raph was an impressive sounding 'graphics card'.   
"_So does that mean I c'n play 'Counterstrike' without it crashin' on me half the time?_"   
"_Heh, with this sweet machine you could play 'Fear', and probably wouldn't have to curb the graphics too much either!_"   
"_Sweet!_" Raph copied Donnies' huge grin.   
"_Hey, guys. Can we get back to the job at hand?_" Leo interrupted, pointedly ignoring the three pained looks he received.   
"_Spoilsport._" muttered Mike as Don brought the floor plan for the teahouse back to the fore.

Splinter sat to the side, apparently meditating, though in actuality he was enjoying watching his four sons interacting as they always had, despite the recent months of separation. It gave him a sense of security, that they would endure together no matter what fate had in store. He knew that was overly optimistic, but he allowed himself to indulge in that line of thought, for now.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting this. No good reason, just caught up writing other stuff. A quick warning; this fic is not rated 'M' for the language like most of my other stories. This chapter has the first serious fight scene I've written where I haven't left the fate of the secondary characters up to the interpretation of the reader. Any feedback on it would be appreciated!

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, or any related characters (much to their relief, I'm sure!) If there is anything else in this story you recognise from somewhere else, then I don't own that either.

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Four hours passed before the freight container was opened again. Thankful for the respite from the cramped, pungent compartment within the turtles and Splinter hopped out quickly to join Hattori near the front of the plane. The majority of the interior was dedicated to storage. However, two small couches were bolted in place, one behind the cockpit, the other along the outer wall, with a low metal table secured within the 'v' they created.

"Do not worry Leonardo-san." Hattori assured at the turtles' concerned glance at the door leading to the front of the plane.   
"There is no reason for the pilots to enter this compartment, and they are under strict orders not to disturb me at all regardless." Don set up the Toshiba on the table, the group taking the opportunity to go over the information presented together; almost. Raph grabbed Mike by the top of his shell, through his shirt, forcing him away from the small porthole above the couch to sit facing them again.   
"_Aww, but the sunset looks awesome from up here. You guys should check this out!_"

"Later Mike." Leo stated, not wanting to seem reluctant, just occupied. He had been glad for the darkness within their hiding spot as the container had been transported to the plane, and during the take-off. He had learnt from the occasional food poisoning they'd suffered growing up that it was possible for their faces to turn a very conspicuous sickly green. He knew the abilities and limitations of his own body intimately, so had no trouble leaping great heights. But this was a different story. They were at an altitude where they had no realistic hope of surviving a fall, and someone unknown was in control. He tried to hide it; this was no time to be showing weakness. But, he also wasn't keen to loosen his strong grip on the side of the couch to go looking out a window at just how distant the ground was below.

The flight passed uneventfully, the time arriving for the stowaways to return to hiding seeming to creep up way too quickly. Don packed the laptop away in its case, Hattori thanking him before he picked it up to place it with his luggage stored in an overhead compartment.   
"_Um…, but…?_" Don flustered.   
"What is it Donatello-san?" Hattori asked, noticing his employees' troubled look.   
"Oh…, it's just that… there was a 'With Compliments' slip in with that." Don mumbled uncertainly, pointing to where the computer had been stowed. Hattori seemed puzzled for a moment before realization dawned.   
"You mean the paper I wrote the instructions on?" Don nodded feebly.   
"My apologies Donatello-san, I should have been more prudent in choosing what to write on. That is my personal computer; it was not my intention to offer it to you. Please forgive me for the misunderstanding."   
"O…Of course, Hattori-sama." Don stuttered as he bowed, as much to hide his face as offer respect. Gripping his distraught brother's shoulder a little too tightly, Leo led him back to the container.   
"_Chin up Don. You can build a better machine than that once this is over._" Don offered a weak smile for his brothers' reassurance, deciding not to point out that if he could get a hold of the parts to build a better one, he already would have.

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If it weren't for the tops of the Tokyo skyscrapers visible above the tall hedge that bordered Hattori's compound, it was almost possible to believe they had stepped back in time. Whilst the house and grounds were not huge, built in the traditional style, they did boast state-of-the-art technology; both domestic and for security. The modern devices were hidden away, for the most part, behind false walls and such. Once settled Hattori and Splinter retired for the remainder of the night as the turtles took shifts keeping guard in pairs.

Early the next morning Hattori received a delivery of a collection of sizeable boxes. Within there was a selection of good quality, thick, black cotton garments. Tank tops with wrap-around hoods, loose pants and long sleeved, knee length kimonos; all cut to accommodate the mutants' unusual frames. There was also a box full of large tabi boots, and a pot of black camouflage paint.

Raph felt they'd somehow gone back ten years and were playing dress-ups again, though they'd never had anything this cool when they were kids. He finished applying the last of the black goop around his eyes and sat back to appraise himself in the mirror. Wrapping the cotton mask over his beak he had to admit he made a good lookin' ninja. That didn't stop him tucking his old mask into one of the many hidden pockets inside the kimono, just for luck. He couldn't help a smirk as he caught sight of Mike turning this way and that in front of the full length mirror on the wardrobe door.

The material did a surprisingly good job of hiding the fact he wasn't human, cut loose enough to flow over their forms without catching, but not so loose as to really hinder their movement; except perhaps for the kimono sleeves. They had been made long enough to sit over their hands, even with their arms bent. Don was leaning against the far wall, fiddling with his boots again. It was a weird feeling to have the thick canvas wedged between their toes. Splinter was the only one who didn't quite look like an extra for a Jackie Chan film. His kimono had been made to hang almost to the ground, and his hood was more like a cowl to hide his muzzle. He had tried on some boots, but had eschewed them in the end, along with the paint.

Yielding the stool in front of the dresser to Leo at his brothers' gentle nudge, Raph stood to watch as he applied his disguise. Despite his excitement with the new clothes, Raph couldn't quell a niggling worry. He crouched to share it with his brother.   
"_D'ya really think this is gonna work? Sure we don't stand out as weird green mutants, but how many ninja are just strollin' around Tokyo these days?_" Leo shrugged.   
"_I don't know. We just have to trust that Hattori-sama knows what he's doing._" With a grimace Raph accepted the assurance. After all, is not like they had any other options now anyway.

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They briefly went over their plans again as the sleek black limo travelled up the winding mountain pass. The driver, separated from the passenger compartment by a dark tinted glass partition, pulled over where he had been instructed to. Splinter, Don and Mike were out and melting into the surrounding forest in an instant. The driver not even turning his head to look at his departing passengers before he quickly drove on.

Leo and Raph shared a nervous glance as the trees suddenly gave way to close set buildings. The turtles stared out of the tinted windows at the small village that seemed uncertain which century it was in. The houses were a mish-mash of styles from austere traditional to ultra modern, with most being a weird hybrid of the two. The people on the streets were much the same. There were some in business suits and designer dresses, others in full kimono, and a rare few in sweat tops and jeans.

Passing through the town the road doubled back above it to terminate at an old-fashioned wooden establishment nestled in a grove of cherry trees. The limo stopped again by the front entrance; the valet that opened the door didn't bat an eyelid at the turtles' attire. Once inside they realised why.

All of the teahouse staff members were dressed in traditional silk kimono, white with a delicate cherry tree motif down the left side and sleeve. Sat around low tables in the main room was an assortment of businessmen, their heavies close by. Again there was a jumble of styles, but the important guys could be picked out fairly easily with their immaculate clothes, their lackeys wearing everything from suits to muscle tops or martial art uniforms of their own. Somehow there was an air of respectability about the place, despite the number and variety of weapons in plain sight.

Hattori was greeted almost immediately by a small lady who led them down a passageway to a private room at the rear of the building. The room had wood panel walls at either end, the long sides consisting of sliding shogi-style doors. These were solid wood down the wall shared with the passageway, the doors on the other side held clear glass allowing a view into a large beautiful garden behind the teahouse, incorporating the rocky outcroppings and streams of the natural terrain.

Two gentlemen were already sat on the cushions on either side of the long, low table. The turtles recognised the one in front of the glass doors. Since Hattori hadn't been sure who was involved in his sons' kidnapping, he had supplied detailed employee records on the lap top of anyone he had suspected may have criminal links. There had been quite a few. This fellow was Mr Yamaguchi, head of the Gosei Co. marketing department in Tokyo. Behind him were stood two guys in dark blue gi, matching the colour of their boss' suit. The one on Yamaguchi's right held a nagamaki loosely by his side, the other had two tonfa tucked through the left side of his belt.

The second gentleman was fairly young, and unfamiliar. He was dressed with relative flamboyance in a white suit with a red shirt. His lone guardian went in for the gangster look in a dark pin strip suit, the strap of an uzi over his shoulder. The gun was tucked nonchalantly behind his back, though his hand was ready on the barrel.

Hattori took his place at the head of the table, the gardens and Raph to his left. Leo stood to his right. The business men exchanged polite greetings and introductions whilst the guards surreptitiously checked each other out. At the far end of the table knelt another teahouse employee, her face was painted the stark white of a geisha, quietly playing a lute. The blood red gloss on her lips and black kohl about her eyes making her face seem like a mask in itself. Her pallid skin a contrast to the mass of lustrous black hair held in a loose bun atop her head with long red pins.

"All clear." whispered Don's voice through the earpiece hidden under Leo's hood, giving him a small swell of pride in his brothers' prudent foresight in developing the phones they were now using as walkie-talkies. Confirming Raph had gotten the message too with a quick glance Leo settled himself into a seemingly relaxed stance, happy to know his sensei and brothers had control of the surrounding grounds. Despite keeping her eyes demurely downcast the geisha stood without hesitation at a subtle flick of Yamaguchi's hand. With a respectful bow she took her leave, closing the sliding door behind her in silence.

As soon as they were left in privacy the friendly veneer dropped. Although the conversation remained almost painfully polite Yamaguchi didn't hesitate to start listing his demands. He was to be promoted to Head of Operations in Tokyo. His nephew, sat opposite, to take his current position in Marketing. Hattori was to ensure the Tokyo office would become the corporate headquarters in the event of his imminent exit from the company.

Hattori refused to consider any changes until he was assured of Heiji's current safety. Though everyone remained outwardly calm, Leo sensed the apprehension building in his employer as he looked over the photos presented to him. Out of the corner of his eye Leo caught sight of Raphs' sai disappearing stealthily up his kimono sleeve as Hattori held up pictures of a small boy, gagged and tied but still putting on a brave face for the camera.

Not satisfied with that evidence Hattori still refused to negotiate until he could at least speak with his son. A palpable tension filled the room, everyone readying themselves for probable violence until Yamaguchi finally conceded to a brief telephone call. No one relaxed until the call was finished, Raphs' respect for Hattori boosted by the fact his voice had only cracked once.

Don was hidden in the top of a cherry tree overlooking the garden. Mike and Splinter had managed to sneak into the roof space above their kin. It had been surprisingly easy to incapacitate the few guards they had encountered, so Don was keeping a lookout for any they may have missed. It wasn't easy though, trying to stay sharp despite the pervading peace and sweet scent of his hiding space. As much to distract himself from day dreaming as anything else he watched intently as a geisha left the tea house to kneel, almost hidden in a vine covered gazebo.

He couldn't make out just what she was doing; something with the lute she had been carrying. Curiosity winning out he managed creep through the tree tops and gain the latticed roof above the girl without a sound. Peering through the greenery he did a double take. She was kneeling with the lute upside down on her lap. Inside a compartment in the back of the instrument was a small LCD screen, a speaker next to it so quiet Don had to strain to catch any sound at all. The image showed a live feed of the meeting Hattori and his brothers were currently in, Don realizing there must be a micro-camera hidden on the wall at the opposite end of the room.

Hattori only took a few moments to compose himself after speaking to his son before getting down to serious negotiations. In the end they agreed to Hattori having three months in which to extricate himself completely from the business and ensure a smooth transfer of management to Tokyo. His son would be returned as soon as he had cut all ties to Gosei Co. If he failed to do so before the three months elapsed Hattori would be sent a recording of his sons' death as an assurance he would be sharing the same fate in short order.

As Don watched the conference coming to an end from his perch, an unknown mans' voice over-rode the sound from the room just loud enough for him to clearly catch what was said.   
"I've seen enough. Go."   
"All?"   
"Guilt, like justice, cannot be escaped. You know that." the voice rebuked harshly.   
"Hai Jonin." The girl stood without hesitation and carried the lute over to a nearby stream, manipulating what seemed to be the tuning pegs. Don twitched in surprise as the body of the instrument quickly consumed itself in a crawl of flame. Not fazed at all she dumped the still smouldering wreck in the water and made her way back inside.   
"Um, think we have a third party here guys. Keep your eye on the geisha." he murmured into his microphone.

All parties were as happy as they could be with the arrangements, at least everyone had a chance of surviving and gaining what they wanted, if not as quickly as originally intended. Yamaguchi indicated to his crony to pull a cord hung in the corner of the room. A moment later a serving woman entered with a large tea pot and a selection of snacks on a tray. The geisha followed her with a stack of small platters and ceramic cups.

As the two women busied themselves serving out the repast Raph found it easy to keep his eye on the figure of the painted girl, though he also noticed the other guards all visibly relaxed. The serving woman left, leaving the geisha to finish pouring Hattori's tea. As she turned to serve Yamaguchi, Leo stepped forward to lightly touch Hattori's shoulder and silently warn him with a subtle shack of his head not to drink. Looking back at his cup in suspicion Hattori noticed a small red envelope had materialised beside it.

Picking it up he gained the attention of the other two sat at the table. They watched intently as he opened it, a pressed white chrysanthemum falling out onto the table. The room seemed to freeze for a moment before Yamaguchi starting shuffling backwards in absolute terror.   
"Kage no Renmei!" his panicked whisper carried clearly. Before anyone else could react, each cup leapt of the table as the bases exploded, releasing a fine white smoke. Instantly Leo felt his lungs burning, his legs turning to jelly as he fell to his knees. The three sat at the table were affected the worst; Yamaguchi lolled back against the glass behind him, his nephew and Hattori slumping uncontrollably onto the wooden surface in front of them.

It had no such influence on the geisha. In a blur she had turned, grabbed and twisted the head of the guard with the nagamaki behind her. The crack as his neck snapped clearly audible before he fell to the ground only a split second after his coughing comrade. The guy with the uzi managed to half-raise his weapon on his way down, falling back against the doors with a hair pin buried in his eye.

The last guard tried feebly to ward her off as she kicked him onto his back. Pushing his own tonfa across his throat she kicked off on the wooden shaft with both feet to leap onto the table in front of Yamaguchi's nephew. He had managed to draw an aiguchi though she snatched it up easily from his slack hand. Using his own blade she nicked the back of his neck. Leo saw the light in his eyes flicker out as his spinal cord was severed. An instant later the same blade was buried to its hilt in Yamaguchi's chest.

Leo was no stranger to violence, but the detached efficiency with which she acted astonished even him, she hadn't uttered a sound. It seemed to him the five deaths should have warranted more noise than a couple of dull thuds, small crunches and the ugly bubbling of blood down Yamaguchi's chin. Perhaps it was because this time he was merely watching, practically helpless. Leo found himself wondering if it had been her intention for Yamaguchi to die slowly; it seemed odd that he was the only one she hadn't struck with an instantly lethal blow. He hoped his own end would be quick.

After such speed she seemed to straighten in slow motion, sauntering towards Hattori down the table. Leo managed to reach up with a hand that felt like a lead weight to draw a katana, its tip clunking heavily against the floor. It took all his will power to stay on his knees and not fall forward. Raph had a sai in each hand, but was fighting for breath on all fours.

Above them Mike drew a chuck to break the ceiling slats he'd been spying through, confused when Splinter grabbed his arm on his upward stroke to stop him.   
"If we enter, we will succumb to the powder as well and be of no use to your brothers. Come." Splinter whispered. Mike was about to protest, but the words evaporated under the pain clear in the eyes of his father. Reluctantly he followed as Splinter silently led the way back out onto the roof.

Hattori managed to turn his head to watch her draw a blade of her own from her kimono sleeve, raising it high in both hands.   
"Wait." he croaked. To his surprise she paused. Her expressionless eyes seemed inhuman, such a dark shade of brown it was difficult to tell the difference between her pupil and iris. Feeling the need to take quick advantage of his unexpected, but surely brief reprieve Hattori made his argument.   
"I'm not a criminal…"   
"You own Gosei Co., do you not?" it was more a statement than a query, the monotone of her voice surprisingly deep; her stance unchanging.   
"Hai. But I am trying to rid it of the joushuuhan…"   
"A noble intent. However, you are still responsible for the wrongs committed." she tensed, readying for the stroke.   
"Wait! You can't…" Hattori tried a final plea in desperation. The second of silence seemed to stretch for an eternity.   
"Give me one good reason."   
"I…, I have a son…" to his surprise her eyes seemed to soften for an instant before her stoic mask morphed into a determined grimace.   
"Too bad, parents die everyday. That doesn't erase your guilt."

Hattori clenched his eyes shut against the sight of the swiftly descending blade. They flew open again as it struck with a resounding clang, the blunt edge of Leo's katana bruising his throat as it took the force of the blow. With a savage scowl she raised her knife again, her stroke never falling as she spun backwards, a red stain quickly spreading down the silk on her arm from the shuriken embedded in it. In the confusion of shattering glass and whistling projectiles Leo managed to throw himself protectively over Hattori, Raph hitting the ground close beside them.

Splinter cursed the tremble in his hand that had thrown off the aim of his first shuriken. The geisha had quickly disappeared behind the table, but he ordered his sons to pepper the room regardless. They concentrated on the section just in front of their kin. If she wanted to attack them again she would have a hard time getting through unscathed. After a few moments that end of the table collapsed, Splinter raising a paw to stop the bombardment, appraising the situation. The girl was nowhere in sight.

"I think we got her!" Mike exclaimed, breaking the tense quiet that had enveloped the scene. Sharing a triumphant grin he and Don approached to pull back the remains of the door closest to their brothers. Despite coughing again Leo gave them a grateful but understanding smile as Don pulled Mike back to allow the white dust they'd disturbed to re-settle. Splinter didn't share his sons' enthusiasm, watching intently for any movement from the far end of the room. His caution paid off as he lunged forward, his staff hitting Don solidly on the back of the head from the impetus of the shuriken it blocked.

In the resulting distraction a white blur shot from the room. Leaping through the broken glass she pelted down the garden. Mike was after her in an instant, cursing the fact he'd already used all his throwing stars. Of his brothers Mike was the fastest runner, but he struggled a little to catch up with the girl, grateful her kimono stood out well against the green of her surrounds. Despite her dodging she couldn't shake him as he closed the gap.

Drawing close he reached out to grab the long hair escaping from her bun to stream behind her, his strong grip failing as it greasily slid out of his hand. He did a double take as the strands of hair he'd grasped glinted palely in the sun as she surged forward again, a sticky black smear left on his hand. An instant later she disappeared over a rock ledge, Mike in hot pursuit. He gasped in shock as he realised he'd followed her over a cliff, a large pool looming below. He mimicked her dive, swiftly catching up to her under the water.

Don and Splinter helped to support Hattori, Leo and Raph as they made their way to the top of the cliff. With a sigh of relief Splinter reached down to help Mike back over the edge as he finished his climb, slopping a waterlogged kimono on the ground next to him.   
"I thought I'd caught her, Sensei." he explained through heavy breaths "But when I got to the surface all I had was this." he pointed to the sopping pile of white and red silk.   
"You didn't see where she went?" Splinter asked in concern. Mike shook his head.   
"No, didn't realise she'd slipped me till it was too late. Sorry Sensei." Splinter gripped his shoulder reassuringly.   
"We are all safe, my son. That is what really matters."

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A/N 2: Just in case you are wondering; I won't be posting the translation for 'Kage no Renmei' on my profile. Two reasons for this; first it is the name of an organisation and will be explained later anyway. Second, I'm afraid I have pilfered it shamelessly from somewhere else; just couldn't think of a better alternative! For any DC boffins reading this please don't sue! Whilst there may seem to be some similarities at first, my version is actually quite different (apart from the translated name, and the ninjas). If anyone has any ideas they'd like to share for a different cool name for a secret order of ninjas, feel free to send 'em my way! I'm always happy to at least consider an original alternative.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Holy guacamole! Where the heck did the last three months get to? Sorry for the huge delay in posting more of this fic. My bad, I just keep getting caught up with other stuff atm. But I'm not planning on abandoning this fic at all, so hopefully you'll all bear with me!

A huge thankyou goes out to Hakucho and Cynlee for beta reading this chapter for me; and to Cynlee (yeah, again!), The REAL Cheese Monkey, Mrs Turtle and Tewi for the reviews last chapter. Love getting 'em!

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, or any related characters (much to their relief, I'm sure!) If there is anything else in this story you recognise from somewhere else, then I don't own that either.

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"Stay alert, don't take any chances. If you even suspect anything is going awry call for me. Don't forget, I'll be listening in regardless." Leo instructed sternly, his voice still rough from the effects of the powder he'd been exposed to earlier.   
"Relax Leo! I'm on it, alright?" Mike assured, a little exasperated, before he quickly followed Hattori to the compound entrance. Heading in the opposite direction to penetrate the grounds with the rest of his family Leo still felt nervous about this plan. Hattori had been adamant about meeting with Yamaguchis' widow as soon as possible. He had only allowed them all a few of hours to recover as best they could after escaping the teahouse, and gather some equipment for their next task.

Mike was the only guard going with Hattori this time. Even disguised as he was, Splinter was too conspicuous to pass as a human in close quarters. Don was needed to gain access to any computers they could find, and both Raph and Leo were still suffering occasional tremors from the poison. Besides, their job now was to go through the Yamaguchi residence as quickly as possible to search for any clues concerning Heijis' whereabouts, whilst Hattori negotiated with the family for the same information, and kept them distracted.

Gaining access to the home took longer than Leo would have liked, though he didn't begrudge Don taking a couple of minutes each time they had to by-pass the security systems near the house and throughout the gardens. Raph took care of the guards, quietly for once, venting some of his frustration at having been incapacitated during the geishas' attack. Once inside, the four went their separate ways, each taking a section of the building to investigate.

A short while later when they reconvened in the study, Don was already engrossed in the computer. None of them had had any luck discovering clues to Heijis' whereabouts, and listening through their ear pieces to the terse conversation Hattori was engaged in, it was obvious their time was running out fast.   
"Don?" Leo quietly disturbed his brother. "Have you gotten a look at everything?"   
"Not even close. But," Don popped a disk out of the drive, looking up at Leo with a grin "this little Trojan will let me in to have good look about later. I've also set it up to run a hidden search for a few keywords on the system that may make it quicker to find anything when I hack back in through the network." Returning the smile briefly Leo motioned for them to make a hasty retreat.

There was an uneasy silence in the limo after each had given their report.   
"_Well, that went well. Not. Yamaguchis' old lady certainly wasn't in the mood to give anything away._" Mike summed up.   
"_You expected her to be?_" asked Raph sarcastically. Mike shrugged,   
"_No. But it's not like Hattori-sama wasn't offering her some decent compensation, and it wasn't even our fault her hubbie got whacked, anyway! But...she really didn't seem to buy that it was an assassin from Kage no Renmei that did it, since we managed to survive. Are they really that good?_"   
"Hai." Hattori confirmed, though he seemed detached, not shifting his gaze from the view passing by the window. He spoke barely loud enough to be heard, above the faint hum of the engine.   
"It is very rare for anyone to survive an attack by one of their assassins, and virtually unheard of to achieve it twice. They will come for me again… I must find Heiji before they do! I will join my ancestors in peace, so long as I know Heiji is safe."

"Do you know why you have been targeted by this organisation?" Leo, sat opposite, queried gently. Hattori sighed, his breath fogging the glass in front of his face for a moment.   
"Iie. From what little I know of them, the motives of the Kage no Renmei aren't always obvious. They seem to have originated during the Meiji era, at the turn of the twentieth century. As Japan was exposed to Western influences, many felt our culture and even our honour would be corrupted. Kage no Renmei are seen to be fighting to expunge the worst of these influences. The authorities do little to stop them, since they concentrate their efforts on the criminal elements in our society. To receive a white chrysanthemum is to be informed that you have been judged as guilty and will be executed, though they rarely give a reason why." he paused for a moment, before continuing on.   
"Many believe they are honourable warriors, and are fighting to uphold justice in a corrupt world. Some even believe they are sanctioned by the Emperor, since the chrysanthemum is an Imperial symbol..."

Quiet pervaded as Hattoris' murmur failed for a few moments, before he spoke again in barely more than a whisper.   
"I do know that they do not always execute criminals. I remember, when I was a boy, my Father had some dealings with them. I don't recall the details; I doubt I was ever told anyway. The only thing I do remember is my Father insisting to me 'If the Kage no Renmei ever ask for anything, anything at all, give it to them.' But I have not had any dealings with them myself." With that Hattori closed his eyes to rest against the cool pane of glass.

Turning and leaning forward in his seat a little to create a huddle with his family, leaving Hattori in peace, Leo began to wonder.   
"So, where do we go from here? Any ideas?"   
"Well, I was actually thinking we should head to Gosei Co headquarters." offered Don "While I think it more likely that Yamaguchi would have left any clues on his private system, it still may be a good idea to check out his work computer and office, just to be sure. Besides, if I hack his home system from there and I do happen to get traced, it won't lead straight back to Hattoris' compound."   
"Sounds like a plan… for now." agreed Leo, noticing Hattori had picked up the internal car phone to ring the new destination through to the driver, without looking away from the window.

"What do we do after that?" Mike asked quietly, after a minute of silence.   
"I don't know Mike." sighed Leo.   
"Any journey can only be taken one step at a time, my son." Splinter murmured.   
"Otosan, are you feeling alright?" Leo asked; a little concerned since Splinter had closed his eyes and not moved once they had settled in the car.   
"Hai." Splinter opened his eyes slightly as he continued "Merely searching for the path myself."

Raph turned back to the window as his father shut his eyes again, watching the hustle of Tokyo slip past the tinted pane. At first it seemed like a carbon copy of New York; skyscrapers, bright lights, traffic and people crowding the sidewalks, enjoying the early evening. But the more he looked the more he felt there was something missing. With a gasp he realised what it was.   
"_What's up?_" asked Mike, gazing out the window next to him.   
"_There's no graffiti!_" Raph uttered in disbelief.   
"_Hey, you're right! Not much rubbish either… Look, there's some punks though!_" Mike indicated a group of teenagers with multi-coloured hair.   
"_They don't look too tough, no one's really givin' 'em a wide berth or anything…_" observed Raph "_Holy crud, that can't be right!_" he exclaimed pointing at a building.   
"'Shichiya.'" Mike read part of the stores sign "_Isn't that like a pawn shop? They must just be setting up or something; they haven't put the bars on the windows yet._"   
"_Looks pretty established to me._" murmured Raph.

Leo couldn't help a sad smile.   
"They don't need the bars, probably because the crime rate is so low. You'd think a ninja clan bent on bringing criminals to justice would be superfluous here, but I guess that's just indicative of the people. They take their honour that seriously. Can you imagine what it would have been like to grow up here?" he asked wistfully.   
"_Yeah, boring._" Mike earned a scowl from Leo, though he didn't notice it as he gaped at the window in surprise "_Or maybe not! Did you see that?_"   
"_Heck yeah!_" agreed Raph, sharing an enthusiastic grin with his excited brother "_That definitely said _'Asahi'_! So it's true, you can get beer out of vending machines here, friggin' awesome!_"   
"My sons!" Splinter opened one eye to admonish quietly but sternly. It was enough to ensure the rest of their journey was completed in quiet.

Most of the Gosei Co building was deserted, though light still shone from random windows. Settling themselves in the spacious office area dedicated to the Marketing Department, most of the group made themselves comfortable for the wait whilst Don did his work. Leo made another quick round of the section, ensuring Don had a good supply of coffee and that his other siblings were taking their guard duty seriously, before finally returning to the large meeting room to check on Splinter and Hattori. He felt a moment of alarm before he realised they had moved past the far end of the conference table to sit on the floor.

"Leonardo, join us." Splinter invited, hand outstretched. He happily complied, completing the small triangle as he also sat down cross-legged on the rug. With a warm smile, Splinter continued.   
"We are going to attempt to search for Heiji. Finding the chi of an untrained child amidst the clamour of countless others is a daunting task. And at best, I fear we can only hope to discover if he is actually alive or not. However, I think having your strength added to our search will be of great help."   
"Are you sure, Otosan?" asked Leo, remembering the earlier hesitation of his sensei in teaching this skill.   
"Hai, the best way to learn is to do. No harm will come to you, I will not allow it." he assured "Though you may feel a little drained afterward. All I ask is that you leave your mind open to me." With a grateful smile and bow for his Master, Leo prepared himself to meditate.

Splinter knew he had a gift, a great strength upon the astral plane. Even so he still took a moment to batten down the niggling doubt he had in his ability, tucking it in a hidden corner of his psyche before he allowed himself to reach out and embrace the essence of the two sat beside him. To his mind Leonardo shone like a fresh lit candle, a pure undirected energy. Hattori was much more complex, the souls of his ancestors that resided within him each adding their own unique impetus to his chi. The old rat could sense the spirit of a monk come to the fore to help Hattori focus his concentration. Still, it was Splinter who took the lead in directing the groups' collective energy.

With a mental grip on his companions, to aid and draw from them, he reached out into the undulating current of thought that saturated Tokyo. For the most part he allowed them to be drawn along with the ebb and flow, identifying the spirits of young boys within the throng and guiding Hattori to attempt to identify them as his son.

It was tiring labour; the untamed souls of most were not easy to perceive, especially as Splinter essentially found himself holding Hattori back from using too much force in his attempts to recognise his son. And despite his best efforts, he feared the thought of children waking with nightmares of being grabbed by a stranger demanding to know who they were.

As the time wore by, Splinter also began to sense Leonardos' frustration at his perceived inability to aid his father; even as he learnt the beginnings of focusing his chi, sharing a little of the burden in restraining Hattori. Surfacing slightly from the current Splinter took a moment to bring his sons' attention to his own progress, sending Leonardo a surge of pride with this mental gesture. The returned feelings of delight, love and an unquenchable desire to keep improving were enough to bring a catch to the old rats' throat.

Despite the reserves of his ancestors Hattori was starting to tire, exhausted by his frantic search. His exposure to the geishas' powder was also taking its toll. Even Leonardo was starting to despair that they would ever find the one they were looking for. The doubt that Splinter had buried was slowly winding its way back to the surface of his mind, when suddenly a little boy's call reverberated throughout all their minds. "Daddy!"

The old rat focused on securing the link between father and son, hearing Hattori begin to weep quietly. As he had feared, Heiji was unable to comprehend or return anything more than the love and relief of his own father. Even to one as experienced and skilled as Splinter, physical distance and direction held very little meaning on the astral plane. The only thing he could determine of the childs' whereabouts was the impression that he was in, or close to, Tokyo.

Guiding Leonardo to direct his energy to bolstering Hattori, helping to maintain a strong enough link; Splinter concentrated on memorising the sense of the boys' spirit with the hope of being able to retrieve it more easily in the future. As he felt Heijis' consciousness fade, the child beginning to slumber, Splinter gently but insistently pulled Hattori back.

Although he mentally struggled for a moment to maintain it, Hattori physically collapsed as soon as the link to his son was broken. Leonardo gasped in shock as the chi previously entwined with his own was jerked away. Steadying his own son with his essence, Splinter quickly probed Hattoris' mind, relieved to find the man had simply succumbed to exhaustion; though he knew from experience that Hattori would wake with an awful headache as a result of his chi being suddenly wrenched from the plane.

Wanting to spare Leonardo and himself the same ache, Splinter steadied his hold on his sons' spirit, making sure that their exit from the tumult was a gentle one. A sudden tremor on the plane gave him pause however, something about it was familiar. A moment later the vibration swept them again and he was sure he recognised it this time. It carried the signature of a soul he had first encountered on the astral plane some years before.

He had never been able to establish contact with the being; the walls it had set up about itself were too strong…so strong they seemed to hum with an energy of their own. Very rarely Splinter had managed to catch a glimpse, as it were, of the chi within as it extended into the astral plane. But such journeys were invariably succinct, and Splinter had only ever managed to observe it briefly as it withdrew into its holding once more. Over the years he had just come to accept the notes emanating from this spirits' enclave as a permanent part of the melody that coursed through the plane. Now, however, it was sounding louder than he had ever experienced before.

Another memory surfaced, making him shiver slightly. Once, he had woken abruptly to the feeling he was being watched, as if by a predator. Overcoming the instinct to stay frozen where he lay, he had managed to look over his shoulder. For a moment he had cringed beneath a phantasm of huge, golden eyes considering him. He had felt no real malice from the apparition, only curiosity; almost as if he'd been cornered by a well fed tiger. However, the presence had quickly dissipated, leaving him in a cold sweat of relief. He hadn't been able to recognise or trace the spirit that had woken him, but he had often wondered if it were not linked in some way to the one he was tracking now.

Almost absently he drew Leonardo with him as he traced the pulse back to its source, each wave growing stronger as they approached. Reaching the wall Splinter brushed it tentatively, recoiling as a fresh surge radiated, carrying such a sensation of pain with it that Splinter heard his son grunting against its impact; in spite of his receiving it disseminated through his father. Turning his attention to Leonardo, Splinter enveloped him protectively. The waves were coming slower, each only an echo of the pain now that they were no longer in contact with the wall. Still, Splinter did not allow them to touch his son again as he helped him to ease his mind back into his body.

Lingering for a moment, Splinter quashed a brief urge to attempt breaching the barricade. It was clear that this being was in agony, so much so the walls had weakened enough to let the sensation seep past. However, even as he thought it, the waves ceased and he sensed the barrier becoming reinforced once more. Cautiously, he touched the wall again; gaining an odd sense that there was actually more than one layer to the core within, before the barrier became strong enough to block his investigation. Feeling suddenly very tired, the old rat withdrew himself from the plane.

Opening his eyes Splinter reached for Leonardo who was now lolling forward, struggling to stay awake. Feeling his fathers' hand on his shoulder, Leo managed to lift up his head slightly.   
"What was that?" he gasped.   
"I'm not entirely sure, my son. It was a presence I have felt before, but never in such pain."   
"It was only one? I thought I heard two voices crying out… though one was… so deep…, distant." Leo slumped against Splinters' shoulder, exhaustion close to claiming him, while the old rat wrapped his arm about him.   
"I am proud of you, and I am… sorry."   
"Otosan, no. When you protected me, I felt… It wasn't your fault. Please…, don't feel guilty." Splinter hugged his son as fiercely as his fatigued, aged muscles would allow. His eyes closing in a vain attempt to deny the tears that threatened.

A few minutes later Splinter twitched an ear towards the scuff that sounded over the light snores from where Hattori lay, as he'd crumpled onto his side; and Leos' even breaths against the fur on his chest. Feeling no threat; Splinter cracked open an unwilling eye to see Michelangelo crouching beside him.   
"_Hey Sensei, you ok?_" his son asked quietly.   
"Hai. We are all merely tired. How is Donatellos' search progressing?" he enquired, barely more than a whisper.   
"He's pretty much finishing up now. He hasn't managed to find anything." Mike dejectedly reported. Despite his disappointment, Splinter still gave a small nod in acknowledgement of his sons' efforts.   
"How long has it been?"   
"Almost six hours, it's past midnight. What do you want us to do now, Master?" Splinters' brow furrowed slightly.   
"Michelangelo, please." he implored.   
"Sorry Mas…, uh… Otosan." Mike offered sheepishly.   
"Arigato." Splinter sighed "We all need some rest. I don't believe we will be able to rouse Hattori-san. Even if we could, I am not confident that he would be able to assist us. I would like to let him rest as much as possible, regardless."

Michelangelo waited patiently as his father lost himself in thought for a moment.   
"How are you and your brothers feeling? Would you be able to maintain a guard, for the next few hours at least?"   
"I'm fine. Raph and Donnie are both a bit tired, but given the amount of coffee Raph's gotten through I don't think he'll be sleeping any time soon anyway."   
"Hmmm," Mike wasn't sure if his father was amused or disappointed "In that case, we will return to Hattoris' compound for the rest of the evening. Hopefully, our adversaries won't expect us to be there. If we can all gain some rest, we can consider our options with clearer minds in the morning."

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Leo opened his eyes to the dim room; quickly realising he was on his futon back at Hattoris' residence. The LCD on the alarm clock next to him read 04:11. Ignoring the pleas from his muscles for more rest, Leo hauled himself up and dressed quickly in his pads and bandana, snatching up both his katana to check on the rest of his family.

He found most of them in the lounge. Don was snoring lightly on the couch, curled under a blanket. Splinter, too, was dozing; sat in the lotus position on an armchair. His father hardly stirred as Leo gently pulled the light blanket gathered about his waist back up over his shoulders. Mike was standing, hidden in the shadow to one side of the floor to ceiling windows, looking out over the garden.   
"_Hey._" Leo quietly greeted his brother, a little concerned to see the tiredness in his eyes in spite of the grin he was given in return "_How you holding up?_"   
"_I'm fine, haven't seen a thing move out there all night_." Mike whispered as he dipped his head towards the window.   
"_You need some sleep?_"   
"_Nah, Donnie's gonna relieve one of us in an hour or so anyway._"

Looking around briefly Leo realised he couldn't see his third brother anywhere.   
"_Where's Raph?_" Mike pointed to Hattoris' bedroom door.   
"_He's keeping guard in there, just in case we get any visitors sneaking in. He could use a break more than me._" With a nod, Leo silently entered Hattoris' room to relieve his brother.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: OK, got some good news, and some bad. I'll hit ya with the bad first. My beta-reader has left on a well deserved holiday till the middle of August, and I'm due to pop around then, so I'm afraid this chapter hasn't had the benefit of a critical eye looking it over before I've posted it. But the way I figure, if I don't post it now it could be quite a while before I get another chance to, if I wait until it's completely polished; and I've been way too slack in keeping this fic updated as it is. Besides, I consider the version here at FFNet to be in 'draft', cleaned up versions of my fics are available at the Stealthy Stories forum… eventually!

The good news? I have been on a roll with writing this tale lately, so the next chapter is practically finished and I've made a start on Chapter 8. So hopefully, once everything has settled down a little I shouldn't have too much trouble getting back on track with more regular updates again.

Many thanks to Cynlee, Mrs Turtle, Tewi and greshunkai for the reviews last chapter. Love getting 'em! As some of you may know already, I'm working on an original fiction story in collaboration with my hubbie, and this tale is a kinda of 'practice run' for it. That's why I'm trying to avoid using things like style changes to emphasis words and the like, since I am trying to make it as 'novel-like' (for want of a better word!) as possible. To that end, I really do appreciate any feedback I get regarding the writing style of this fic. Seriously, I welcome red pens, or paint, lol!

Oh, and before I forget, thank you to whoever added this fic their C2 community. Never had this happen to any of my fics before, and I'm really honoured!

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, or any related characters (much to their relief, I'm sure!) If there is anything else in this story you recognise from somewhere else, then I don't own that either.

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A shadow moved in the pre-dawn dark, dropping silently from the ceiling to approach the sleeping form. The slender blade drawn from the figures' sleeve was too dull to reflect the meagre light, unlike the polished metal that unexpectedly halted the shadows advance, nudged under its' chin.   
"Is this what you call justice?" Leo hissed from the deeper darkness within the open closet. The look from the eyes that seemed to have no iris, merely a large pupil dominating them sent a brief chill down his spine, though his blade remained steady at the throat.

The eyes didn't flinch as metal scraped harshly, the shade back-flipping away from the sword to save its' neck as Leos' second katana, held defensively down his front, prevented his guts being spilt by the assassins' blade being drawn across his abdomen.

For a split second Leo cursed himself for giving in to the urge to turn this into a duel. He should have simply killed the ninja when he had the opportunity. However, he staunchly believed killing in cold blood was dishonourable, and he'd hesitated. Now this intruder had a chance to use whatever foul tricks they had at their disposal.

Though he doubted it would be; if this were a clean fight, Leo had the advantage. His opponent was backed into the corner of the room; they had taken on a low, defensive stance. In a blur their hand disappeared into their jacket, Leo managing to twist backward to all but avoid the shuriken that buried themselves in the opposite wall; one scoring his shoulder with its' passing. He completed the turn, blocking the blade that followed through with an upswing, and making a thrust of his own with his second katana. It barely missed the side of the ninja, as they spun away from the attack.

The clash of metal on metal grew louder as they continued in their dance down the side of the room. The assassins' blade was much shorter, only a foot or so in length, but Leo quickly found they had guards running the length of their forearms, under the black material of their disguise. The ninja used these to block his strikes, deflecting his katana away so they could move in to closer quarters with their knife.

Frustrated and already starting to tire, Leo didn't realise the ninja had led him back towards the bed. Suddenly the assassin swivelled to plunge their blade into the mound under the sheets, feathers and down pluming into the air. With a fierce cry Leo sliced his katana at the temporarily undefended back of his enemy, his blow thwarted as Hattori attempted a similar strike from the far side of the bed, their blades locking mere inches above the ninjas' head. That was all they needed to slip to safety.

With another bellow Leo stabbed his second katana downwards, managing to nick the ninjas' leg and wedge his blade in the floor boards. The assassin quickly crabbed backwards, recoiling slightly as light spilled through the door that was kicked open. With his back to the light Leo suffered no such effect; seizing the opportunity he left his trapped katana in the floor and grabbed the ninja by the front of their jacket. Roughly he hauled the intruder against the wall, pushing his remaining weapon against their throat once more. The ninja managed to block the blade with their own, the metal trapped between the pressure of Leos' katana and their wind pipe.

Though he was using enough force to cleave the neck, if it hadn't been defended, the slight whimper and excessive pain that flickered in the ninjas' eyes were enough to give him pause. In that moment he caught sight of a movement out of the corner of his eye as the assassin reached into their jacket to toss a small packet in his face. The fragile rice paper disintegrated upon contact with his beak, releasing a fine black powder that immediately stung his eyes and made him sneeze.

The ninja kicked him in the stomach to free themself, only to find they were facing five more opponents. Hattori had moved around the end of the bed, his single katana at the ready. The rest of Leos' family had also entered, Raph leading the charge as he launched himself with a wild battle cry at the assassin. Leo leant against the wall to recover; keeping out of the melee that ensued. As he wiped the tears from his eyes he noticed a slight stain on the wooden wall, highlighted by the first rays of sunlight creeping through the window. It almost looked like… blood?

In the confusion of the battle raging in the room the ninja managed to make a jump upon the bed, making for the windows in the far wall. In a flash Don and Mike were on the far side, Don using his bo to sweep their legs from under them, the ninja falling face down on the sheets. Their attempt to roll away was foiled by Mike securing the chain of his nunchaku about their throat, as Don planted his bo across their chest and left arm to hold them down.

Raph leapt up to straddle their right leg, pinning their right wrist to the mattress with a sai to immobilise the ninjas' blade. Hearing his brothers' curse Leo guessed it had been Raphs' intention run the arm through, instead of just pinning it. That left the final limb for Leo to secure.

Splinter had pulled Hattori back from the battle. It was their responsibility to protect him after all, and at least his sons had their natural armour; Hattori was only wearing long, flannelette pants. Still it had taken all the old rats' strength to prevent the man from charging into the fray once more.   
"Wait!" he commanded, to still both Hattoris' attempts to break free from his grasp and the descent of Raphs' second sai above their captives' chest. His tone was enough to subdue all but the ninja continuing in vain to struggle free.

Raph grimaced at his fathers' order, but settled for inverting his weapon and driving the butt into the ninjas' midriff instead. The blow driving a lungful of air and a hissing gurgle past the chain of the nunchaku wrapped tightly about their throat. It did result in a brief lessening in the assassins' attempts to break loose, though they arched their back as far off the bed as they could. Raph responded by shoving them back against the mattress, his fist still nestled in their solar plexus. Again the ninja gurgled a cry.

"Wait? Why wait?" Hattori demanded.   
"Dead men can't talk." stated Splinter emphatically.   
"_They can't kill ya either._" muttered Raph, earning a scowl from Leo.   
"But they are only an assassin, I doubt they will be able to tell us anything…" argued Hattori.   
"A question unasked is a question unanswered. We do not know who this assassin is working for; or what information they may be able to give us. If they are working for the Yamaguchi family they may have some notion of where Heiji is being kept. If they are part of the Kage no Renmei they may be able to shed some light on why you are being targeted; or if your sons' kidnapping has any bearing on their motives." Splinter explained as he moved to stand above the captives' head. With a nod he instructed Michelangelo to loosen the grip of his weapon.

Splinter waited patiently, hands folded, as the ninja gulped air. Their struggles increasing with the renewed supply of oxygen, though their fierce eyes never left the rats'.   
"Well?" queried Splinter. Despite the mask their scowl was obvious; as was the deep, yet unmistakably female, timbre of their voice.   
"Release me now and you and the kappa will live. Defile me and I swear you will all beg for death long before it is granted." Despite continuing to struggle her voice held steady, the cold promise of pain in her tone enough to send a small shiver down the rats' spine. He noticed both Donatello and Michelangelo shift uneasily at her tone.

"What of Hattori?" he calmly asked.   
"He is already dead. If I fail, another will come. He has been judged." she stated implacably before she tried to stifle another whimper, Raph leaning more of his weight on her body. Mike cocked his head in consideration for a moment and then tugged off her mask. He gasped slightly in surprise as his brothers all looked on in confusion at the distinctly Asian features revealed; strangely at odds with the pale hair, though it still held greasy streaks of black.   
"It's her! It's the geisha!" Mike exclaimed, quickly tightening the chain about her throat again "You almost killed my brothers!" he hissed, with more venom than Splinter had ever heard him use before.

A droplet of blood pooled on her lower lip as she bit it in an attempt to stifle the cry escaping her as three of the turtles increased the pressure of their holds, pushing her harder against the sheets as they recognised her without the make-up that had masked her features earlier. However, Leo found himself doing a double-take. Something in her voice seemed familiar, as if he'd heard it somewhere other than the teahouse.

Catching Splinters' eye he noticed the same query furrow his fathers' brow before realization seemed to dawn; for the old rat at least. Leo tried to rack his fatigued brain into identifying just where he'd heard it, though it was made difficult since it wasn't her actual cry that rang familiar, it was more like a deeper echo that niggled in the back of his mind. In vain he shook his head to clear it.

"My son." Splinter placed a hand on Raphs' shoulder to urge him to sit back again from where he'd bent over the girl, leaning heavily on her stomach to mutter something evilly; as Raph complied his brothers' followed suit in lessening their holds, if only slightly. The girl had closed her eyes, turning her face away from Raphs' taunts; though her expression was distant, as if she were concentrating on something else. As the pressure on her eased she lay motionless for a moment, almost surprising the turtles as she suddenly renewed her struggle with vigour.

In an effort to subdue her leg Leo grasped her hard about the thigh. She managed to lift her head to snarl at him.   
"No!" she gasped; a slight note of panic in her voice. Leo frowned back in confusion.   
"Dozo." Splinter soothed "My sons are honourable; you have no reason to fear anything but being restrained and, perhaps, a clean death."   
"I'm sure I can believe your word." she asserted sarcastically through gritted teeth, the harsh edge back in her voice as she continued to strain.   
"You can." Splinter calmly assured "If you cease your struggles my sons will release your legs."

Despite the dubious looks from his family Splinter kept his eyes locked with the girls', smiling slightly in encouragement as she slowly settled. Once she lay still he nodded to his sons, Leo complying almost instantly. Raph took his time, though both stood close and ready to grab her again if need be. Despite her fierce glare Splinters' smile grew warmer as she remained motionless.

Moving slowly, as if trying not to spook her, the old rat brushed his fingers reassuringly down her temple. Closing her eyes she could feel the tension start to leave the two that still restrained her as she forced herself to relax.   
"Will you answer our questions?" she heard the nezumi query softly. She waited to take two more deep, even breaths before giving her answer. Flicking her legs up she tried desperately to wrench herself from the partially slackened hold of her captors. In the second it took them all to react she managed to roll onto her front, grabbing the sai to free the arm that was now pinned beneath her. However, it was buried too deeply into the mattress for her awkward grip to free it as she was set upon again by the four.

They effectively took up the same positions they'd had before, each using as much force as they could muster to crush her onto the bed. Raph planted his hand square on her back, his full weight on it. He roughly yanked her hand from the hilt of his weapon as she gave a muffled scream. As he twisted her arm over her back, it registered that there should be more resistance from her to the lock. Most opponents instinctively tried to pull their arm out of such an awkward position.

"_What the…?_" Leo whispered in shock. Raph turned to give his brother a glare only to be distracted by what Leo was staring at; red smears stained the white sheets where the ninja had lain. Looking back down at the girl he realized she'd actually passed out, a horrid sticky sensation on his hand made him dread lifting it, knowing what he'd find. It was covered in a thin veneer of blood.

Exchanging uncertain glances the turtles backed off the unconscious girl. The black cotton of her outfit made it difficult to spot the seepage. Splinter held out a hand, silently requesting Leos' katana. Without hesitation Leo handed it over, watching in morbid fascination as his father carefully ran the blade through the fabric of her jacket, peeling it back to expose a thin layer of bandages that had been soaked through. Don helped with carefully removing the dressings, wincing as he revealed deep welts that criss-crossed her back. It was obvious from the amount of bruising the first few lashes hadn't broken the skin, but whoever had issued the punishment had continued with it well after she'd started bleeding.

"_Holy cow!_" breathed Mike "_How could she fight so hard with her back like that?_"   
"I think there may be more to her than meets the eye." Splinter reflected.   
"What do we do with her now?" asked Hattori uncertainly. The sage rat stroked the fur on his chin in thought for a moment, before giving a slow nod as he came to a decision.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'd just like to point out that the views expressed by the OC in this fic aren't mine. I'm about as 'western' as they come, so she wouldn't like me much either, lol!

Many sincere thanks to Hakucho for beta-reading this; to greshunkai, Mrs Turtle, Cynlee and RAPHAELFAN02 for the reviews last chapter, and for everyone sticking with reading this tale despite some very long waits between chapters. I do appreciate the support and the feedback immensely!

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, or any related characters (much to their relief, I'm sure!) If there is anything else in this story you recognise from somewhere else, then I don't own that either.

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The cloying dark clouds that enveloped her mind thinned slightly, allowing the scent of warm rice and the soft murmur of voices to break through momentarily. The wave of pain which followed almost overwhelmed her still tentative senses; her back feeling as if it was on fire. Almost instinctively, she concentrated on walling away the sensation to the depths of her psyche, allowing herself to register more useful information; the light of the early morning sun on her eyelids, its warmth a comfort to her bare shoulders. The feel of soft linen against her chest and underneath her chin, in contrast to the hard wood she was sat upon.

Cautiously she opened her eyes, barely enough for her to see or be seen. Even though her eyelashes obscured the view she could recognise the nezumi, kappa and her target seemingly engrossed in quiet conversation over breakfast. Slowly she tipped her head forwards to confirm what she suspected; she'd been propped backwards on a dinning chair, a pillow wedged between her and the high wooden back of the seat affording some comfort and modesty for her mostly naked torso.

Her wrists and ankles were tied with sheets that were then threaded through the base of the chair. The bonds weren't tight enough to chafe, they were barely tighter than the straps of the plain kurokote still on her forearms, but she knew she wouldn't be able to free herself without the help of a blade. Almost taunting her, her tanto rested atop her ruined, but neatly folded, jacket on the floor before her; her tabi set to one side of it. The right leg of her pants had been rolled up just past her knee, a neat dressing covering the cut she had suffered in the bedroom. She still had the older bandage about her right bicep from the shuriken the nezumi had struck her with yesterday.

"Ohayo gozaimasu." Her head snapped up at the gentle greeting, shocked to see that the nezumi had managed to leave the table and approach without her even noticing. She treated him to a vicious glare, adding a snarl to it as she saw the others join him.   
"You left us no choice but to restrain you," the greyed rat explained levelly. "We have re-dressed the wounds to your back; that is the only reason your shirt has been removed. It would seem you have less to fear from us than from your own Renmei."   
"I have nothing to fear from my Jonin." she stated emphatically, the nezumi quirking an eyebrow in response.   
"Most would fear a master who would have them flogged for failing a mission…" he reasoned.   
"This punishment was justified, and had nothing to do with you. I haven't 'failed' my mission yet." she replied disdainfully, throwing a menacing glare at her target. Before the man could speak, he was thumped heartily on the back by the kappa with the nunchaku.   
"He's still breathing after you've tried twice to stop him. I don't think you're doing a fantastic job of assassinating him!" he taunted "What does it take for you to 'fail'?"   
"I can only fail if I die before he does…"

She dropped her gaze to the floor under the weight of the scrutiny from the rat. His raised paw stopping the advance of another kappa that had drawn his sai, muttering about "ensuring she failed".   
"Or…?" the nezumi asked. She grimaced to herself; he was obviously very good at reading people, but she decided silence was the best answer. The rat wasn't to be dissuaded, however. After a moment of silence he guessed "If he returns to the United States?" She didn't so much as flicker an eyelid in response, though she mentally berated herself soundly as he gave a reflective "Hmmm."

"Why have the Kage no Renmei targeted Gosei Hattori? What do they believe him guilty of?" came his next query. She glared back up at the group; brow furrowing as she noted that these kappa seemed different to those she'd encountered before. Ignoring the nezumis' question, she countered with one of her own.   
"What are you? Kappa, or… oni?"   
"Neither." explained the rat "My sons and I are hen'itai."   
"_Heh, heh, yeah! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to be exact!_" laughed the kame with the nunchaku.   
"_Good one, Mike. I doubt she speaks our language; or yours, for that matter!_" derided the one with the sai.

An uneasy silence fell as the kame with the bo shuffled nervously, the one with the sai returning her grimace of disgust.   
"_Ugh, captured by Americans. What a disgrace!_" she uttered with revulsion, her English almost without an accent. In stunned silence the group stood before her shared confused glances for a moment, before the kame with the katana leant forward.   
"_You're more repulsed by the fact we're from the 'States' than by what we are?_" he asked in disbelief. She crooked a disdainful eyebrow at him.   
"I've met oni with more honour than any 'Westerner' I've known." she sneered.

Again the nezumi stopped any response from the rest of the group with a raised paw.   
"Is that why you have attacked us again so soon, despite your injuries? To recoup your honour?" he probed. She gave a humourless laugh.   
"No. I'm a kunoichi… and half-gaijin." she explained, as if to a simpleton, rolling her eyes to indicate her hair "I have no honour to lose."   
"Then why are you so driven to accomplish your task?" he asked.   
"I do have my pride. I have never failed yet; I don't intend to start now." she answered darkly.  
"_Hmpf, 'never failed yet'. This must be your first mission then, huh?_" derided the kame nonchalantly playing with his sai. He matched her cold stare for a good minute before shoving his weapon back through his belt, half turning away with a dismissive grunt. She allowed herself a small sneer in victory.   
"No." she finally answered defiantly "I've been cleansing Japan of tainted filth like you for over a decade."

The rat held back the turtles' response; which obviously wasn't going to be delivered with words, with a strong hand on his arm, cutting off any retorts from the others with a question of his own.   
"You said before that only Hattori had been judged; why do you now consider us to be tainted as well?"   
"Any involved with joushuuhan are corrupted. You haven't been judged, so I was willing to spare you; for now."   
"What has he been judged guilty of?" The tension returned to the room, as she answered with nothing more than a chilling glare. She almost reacted in kind when the nezumi started slightly at the turtle with the katana stepping forward, demanding,   
"If you are so determined to kill us, can't you at least give us a reason why? Is it truly too much to ask for a justification? Because without it; you're just a common murderer."

She dropped her head in consideration; she'd never been confronted by that argument before. Though, it had been a rare thing for any of her assignments to even get a chance to speak to her. Raising her head, she looked past the questioning stare of the kame still bent in front of her, to address the nezumi levelly.   
"I do not know. There is no need for me to know. I am merely the executioner, not the judge. However, I am aware of the crimes perpetrated by Gosei Co. Do you deny that Gosei Hattori is the owner of that company?"   
"No." answered the rat, adopting the same even tone she was using.   
"Then he is guilty."   
"And death is the only recourse? Surely he should be allowed to argue his case…"   
"Why? He is guilty."   
"Depending on your point of view." the creature reasoned.

She scowled slightly in confusion.   
"What do you mean?" she asked cautiously. The greyed nezumi took a moment to contemplate before answering.   
"If you consider that; as the owner of Gosei Co, Hattori is responsible for every action and mis-deed undertaken by every employee of the company, then yes, you are right. He is guilty. However, as an individual he has not been involved, or in many cases, even aware of the criminal activities undertaken by his employees. Given the size and nature of the organisation, is it reasonable to expect that he would have complete knowledge of all actions undertaken by his employees around the world? And, therefore, be in a position to claim personal liability for them? Are you aware that Hattori has been attempting to cleanse Gosei Co. of the same criminal elements you have? Has that been taken into consideration?"

"I don't know." she admitted quietly "But it is not my place to decide what will and will not be considered. I… will not question my Jonin. And if, as you claim, Gosei Hattori is not involved in criminal activities himself, why was he meeting with two known joushuuhan in a village that is a stronghold of yakuza?"   
"Because they kidnapped his son in an effort to extort the control of the company from him; that is the sole reason we came to Japan. Unfortunately, you killed the only two people we are aware of that knew the location of the boy."

She dropped her head again; sure her expression was neutral, but concerned this astute nezumi may read some subtly that could give her thoughts away. Instinctively she also reinforced the barriers enclosing her psyche; there were very few others she'd known that conveyed such a strength of mind as this creature did. And she couldn't quell a faint niggling of familiarity in the back of her mind, although she was sure she had never seen him before yesterday.

Remembering what she'd overheard of that meeting via her surveillance, as a test of their story, she asked,   
"Gosei Co. is successful as it is. Why would they want to make such a radical change to the company?" Hattori stepped forward to answer.   
"Self-preservation. They knew if I found solid evidence that they had criminal ties, their employment with Gosei Co. would be terminated. I've spent years trying to get rid of such leeches, and now I realise it's impossible. As soon as I find Heiji and get him home safely, I'm going to disband Gosei Co. completely; as I should have done when my father died."   
"You would do that?" she eyed him dubiously "Destroy your fathers' legacy, and give up the money it's been earning you?"   
"Hai." he confirmed "My son is worth more to me than any amount of money, and he deserves a more honourable legacy than this."

Despite the emotion in his voice and his defensive posture, the man didn't flinch as she searched his eyes for the truth. What she would give now for a moment of privacy, to meditate and gain a better grasp of the facts for her self. She was convinced of his guilt, he had been judged after all. But perhaps her Jonin wasn't aware of all the facets of this particular case… what would killing one man achieve if allowing him to live, at least a little longer, could bring down a whole corrupt organisation? Surely that would do more to further the cause of her Renmei, and restore some of the former glory to the land she loved.

"Sometimes, the first step to gaining ground is to give it." she murmured, not realising she had spoken out loud until one of the kame interrupted her thoughts with a "Huh?" She shook her head, partly to dismiss the memory.   
"Nothing, just something my sensei used to say." she explained distractedly before looking to the nezumi once more, sure that any softness that her eyes may have betrayed had now been banished from her expression.   
"I was not bluffing earlier, another from Kage no Renmei will come in my place. They will not be deterred from ensuring justice is done, no matter how many agents you defeat. However, if you publicly announce Gosei Hattoris' death, and go through the motions of preparing for a funeral and such, you may win a few days reprieve before the deception is realised. That is the best you can hope for, in order to find the boy first."

The slight bow from the rat was ignored by Hattori, as he stormed forward to grab her throat.   
"That's it? That's the best you can do? If you hadn't interfered I'd have Heiji back by now. As it is, he'll probably be killed in revenge for what you did!" he spat, his grip crushing her windpipe. Regardless of the pain and lack of air, she managed to keep her face stoic. She had already expected to die, and refused to allow herself to fall any further from grace by showing panic or weakness. Death was nothing to fear.

Dark motes were dancing in her vision, before the nezumi had convinced Hattori to loosen his strangle-hold and step back slightly. The sound of precious air drawing into her lungs seemed strangely amplified to her in her relief, enough to drown out the soothing murmurs of the rat to the man. After a moment Hattori stalked off to his bedroom, holding his head in his hands. At a signal from the nezumi two of the kame, nunchuku and sai, followed their ward through the doorway he had disappeared into.

The elderly creature settled his paws back atop his cane to consider her in silence. Fully composed once more, she had no trouble returning his level gaze; she was prepared to meet her ancestors. Finally he stooped to pick up her knife, passing it over to the kame that carried the bo. Turning back, he addressed her quietly.   
"Is there anything else you can help us with, in regards to finding Heiji? A stronghold he may be held in; or the name of someone affiliated with Yamaguchi that may know of his whereabouts?"   
"Yamaguchi had ties with many criminal organisations. I had no knowledge of this kidnapping; so I cannot say which, if any, are involved. The only information I can give you, that may be of use, is that he owned a lot of assets through a trust fund in his cousins' name."

After searching her face for a moment, the rat bowed slightly.   
"Arigato." he said softly, before stepping away to speak in the ear of the kame with the katana. With a hesitant nod for his master, the kame approached her chair, drawing out a blade. Taking a deep breath, relishing the taste of the early morning on the air; she closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable.

The feel of cold metal against her skin sent an involuntary shiver up her spine; before it registered that it wasn't across her throat. Opening her eyes in shock she slowly brought her hands up in front of her face, the severed bonds falling away easily. In confusion she stared at the nezumi, now stood in front of an open door to the garden.   
"I understand what it may have cost you to give us the information and advice you have, and given your situation you did not have to do so. In return, we will give you one chance to withdraw. Do not take this opportunity for granted." he warned gravely "If you attack any of us again, you will be shown no mercy."

Almost in a state of daze she found herself standing to pull on her boots and jacket, as best she could, given its state. The two remaining kame had drawn their weapons, tense and ready as they watched her go over to the door, bow slightly to the old rat, and walk away.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Finally! Another chapter! Believe me no-one is more surprised (or happy) than I am to get this posted. Actually had this one written by the beginning of December, but silly season hold ups, glitches and heaps of other drama that's no where near as interesting as anything concerning our champions in green have held it up.

For those interested, I have posted some character profiles for all the major characters we've met so far in this story. Yep, even the TMNT. Why? Mainly to remind myself that I _can't_ have Leo wearing blue, and to give a bit of insight into the 'Mirage' universe characters, since they are subtly different from the toon versions. They also serve as a quick guide to the history of the characters, which I thought may be useful since this story is being so stubborn in making its way to the page. So if you find yourself wondering who the heck Hattori is, or why Splinter is acting a little loopy, hopefully these will act as reminders so you don't have to read the whole story again whenever I manage an update for it.

Many sincere thanks to Hakucho for beta-reading this, and to Cynlee, greshunkai, Mrs Turtle and Aurora Musis Amica for the reviews last chapter. Over the last 2 – 3 months I've suffered some horrid attacks from review eating gremlins, so if you have left a review and I haven't listed you here or sent you a review reply, I never got it!

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, or any related characters (much to their relief, I'm sure!) If there is anything else in this story you recognise from somewhere else, then I don't own that either.

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"_I'm telling ya, he's lost his nerve, Leo. How else can you explain it?_"   
"_Compassion?_" quipped Leonardo in response. "_Besides, he did warn her not to expect any mercy if she returned._"   
"_Yeah? That just makes it all fine an' dandy then, don't it? I'm sure she expected to be let off so easily._" Raphael replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "_What's there really to stop her from tryin' again, or getting one of her buddies to attack us, while we're distracted with organising fake funerals and chasin' Yamaguchis' red tape, huh?_"   
"_He did the honourable thing, Raph._"   
"_Hmpf, 'honourable'. Pity she's under no illusions about ninja havin' honour, and like it or not Leo, that's what we are._"   
"_We are what we make ourselves; honour is simply a path to choose…_"   
"_Yeah? I'd like to see you take that argument to a samurai. Just tell me; you happy with him just lettin' her go?_" The silence stretched for a moment.   
"_No. But what makes you so sure she will attack again?_"   
"_I got my pride too Leo… and I'd sure as hell try again._" The conversation ceased at the sounds of Hattori, Donatello and Michelangelo returning from the ground floor with dinner.

Splinter hung his head; his sons' conversation had filtered through the thin walls of the ryokan to ring clearly in his sensitive ears. He turned the shuriken over again, repeatedly, in his paws. It was made of a dark metal, so thin it could be bent using the strength of even his aged fingers. The centre of the weapon was a small circle, four thin arms each protruded roughly an inch from its edge, most of which ended in wicked points. One arm was blunt however, the tip still embedded in his walking stick. The geisha had very nearly struck one of his sons in the head with this weapon; the memory sent a chill up the old rats' spine.

What had he done? How could he have spared an enemy that had attempted to end the lives of his sons, more than once? He had been so sure of his actions that morning that, at the time, he hadn't given them a second thought. But after a day of reflecting on what the girl had done and said during their encounters, he had serious doubts now that she would indeed react as he'd expected. He'd made the mistake of assuming she respected the same values he held dear.

The rodent knew, in his heart of hearts, his sons were right. She'd made it clear that nothing would stop her, or her Renmei, from attempting to kill Hattori again; let alone any ethic he might appear to adhere to. Sighing, he remembered that he hadn't found the courage yet to tell his sons of how he had chosen his life over his honour.

The scent of the food found him, the stench of cooked flesh cloying his nostrils, making his stomach turn. He took comfort in Leonardo understanding that he and his brothers were still able to choose to live by that ethos; they didn't have to share in the failures of their Father.

However, to make matters worse, he was also well aware that if it weren't for Donatello acting so quickly on the information the girl had given them (already in the process of hacking into the Yamaguchi investment accounts when Hattori had emerged from his bedroom) he would also have been responsible for destroying this opportunity the man had given his family.

Once he'd realised the kunoichi had been allowed to leave, Hattori had gone wild. If his sons hadn't stood resolutely by their Fathers' decision, within Hattoris' earshot at least, Splinter knew their employment would have been terminated right there and then. In the end, Leonardo had managed to calm the situation; getting Hattori to agree to fake his death, just to win them some time to concentrate on finding Heiji.

The rest of the day had been hectic; Michelangelo assisting Hattori with organising his own obituary and such whilst his brothers started to plan how they were going to search the large number of buildings among the various assets Yamaguchi had owned. At least the kunoichi seemed to have told them the truth in regard to the trust fund.

Within a couple of hours, his sons disguised in their gi once again, Hattori was driving them via a tortuous route to the small ryokan he had booked under a false name. The reason for the indirect path was two-fold; to ensure that they weren't being followed and to allow the turtles to begin their search at a warehouse located on the outskirts of Tokyo. The other buildings on the list weren't as isolated; they were simply waiting for cover of darkness to start on those.

Splinter had remained in the car with Hattori, acting as a guard; though he wasn't surprised the man sat in stony silence while his sons were gone on their investigations. The quiet had been welcomed by the old rat. Shortly after the kunoichi had left he had sensed a searching presence on the astral plane and had spent most of the day protecting Hattori, and himself, from intermittent probes by the spirit. It hadn't been easy, as the spirit was formidable; he had quickly traced it back to the barriers he and Leonardo had encountered, just the night before.

The chi itself was strong, but subtle. Splinter got the impression again that he was engaging with a large predator; something agile, that knew how to camouflage itself and all but sneak past his defences.

He was also convinced it was his opponents' decision to assail them in this fashion. With the power he could sense behind this astral being, he wasn't sure if he would be able to withstand an all-out attack on his mind from the creature; especially as tired as he was from recent events. To his relief, the insidious explorations stopped as soon as dusk had begun to approach.

Whereas all his sons had asked if he were alright, during the course of the day, only Leonardo had occasionally perked up his head during his mentors' silent struggles. And he was the only one Splinter had confided in, regarding what was occurring on the plane. His own pride dictated that he defend Hattori without complaint, regardless of how much it exhausted him.

As soon as they had settled in one of the ryokan's top floor suites, Leonardo had insisted that he take some time to rest in the smaller room, separated from the main room by paper shogi screens. Splinter had readily agreed, although he failed to find the sleep he craved. Too many questions and doubts were plaguing his mind for him to relax, even as he tried futilely to meditate and clear away the distractions.

The shogi screen slid open, spilling the last of the red light from the dying day into the dim room. Hattori stalked right through, coming in to sit down before the rat without hesitation. Leonardo and Donatello followed him in as well, though they remained standing; each giving a small bow to their Father. Donatello placed a bowl of rice and vegetables beside him, with a pair of chopsticks resting across its brim. Splinter smiled weakly in thanks, especially at his sons' consideration for his preferred diet of late, but he left the meal untouched. His stomach still rebelled too strongly against the lingering odour from the meat.

"I need to find my son." stated Hattori. The greyed mutant gave a bow from where he was seated in response, before closing his eyes as if to doze. As the man tensed in anger at seemingly being ignored; Donatellos' hands hovered over his shoulders, ready to restrain him from making a move. Thankfully, their employer relaxed as he felt Splinters' mind begin to connect with his own. He could sense the fatigue in the old rat, and the worry they both shared that they may not find Heijis' spirit again.

Without invitation Leonardo also sat down in the lotus position beside them, meditating to add his strength to the search. Still, that didn't account for the sudden surge that gripped them all like a rip-tide, dragging their chi to a point then dissipating as quickly as it had risen. With the mental equivalent of a shake of his fur, Splinter regained his bearings to find Heiji almost immediately.

However, the wave of relief shared by the three at finding that the child was alive couldn't mask Leonardos' curiosity. He too had recognised the signature behind the force, but his sensei had no answers regarding why the same spirit that had accosted them throughout the day would now choose to aid them. The rat also remained silent, as thoughts speculating whom the spirit belonged to flickered briefly through his pupil's mind. With no answers of his own, the turtle quickly shifted his concentration back to maintaining the link between a distressed father and his lost son.

Hattori did not linger with Heiji for long; wanting to start the physical search for his child as soon as possible. He and Leonardo helped each other to ease their consciousness off of the astral plane. The youngest of the three awoke to see that his own father was apparently still in deep meditation. The turtle leant forward in concern when Splinter didn't stir after a few long moments had dragged by. Just before Leonardo touched his arm, the rats' eyes suddenly snapped open.   
"She's here." he murmured.

In an instant Leo was up on his feet, both he and Don tense and alert with their weapons drawn at the ready. Not a sound was heard as the four of them moved into the main room where Raph and Mike were waiting. It only took a moment for the other two to realize their brothers' stances; before joining them to complete a protective circle around Hattori and Splinter.

The tension mounted as they all scanned the windows, the sliding doors that led to a small balcony - even the ceiling - for any sign of movement, to no avail.   
"Where?" Leo asked quietly after a minute had passed, ending the temporary silence.   
"I… I am not certain…" replied Splinter. A sudden knock at the front door made each one of them start slightly. The group shared confused glances for a moment, Leo breaking the impasse to issue silent commands using hand signals. Taking his place along the wall beside the door, he settled his black hood a little as he waited for most of the others to retreat back into the smaller room. Raph took up an aggressive stance at the other side of the doorway, poising his sai at the ready. His brother hid his own blade behind his leg before cracking open the door; almost expecting to see one of the ryokan staff.

It took him a moment to recognise the girl. Once more her hair had been coloured black, and tied up in a neat bun. She wore no make-up, but was wearing a simple cotton komon that featured thin, dark grey vertical stripes against a shade of blue so dark it was only discernable as such in contrast with her plain, black nagajuban. The obi about her waist was a matching shade of grey. Slung over her shoulder was a large, black satchel, much like those used for art portfolios, though hers bulged slightly in a way that suggested there was more than paper contained within it. She looked for all the world like a young university student or such, not a weapon in sight, stood there with her empty palms held up beside her face in the universal gesture of peace.

Leo didn't buy it for a second, whipping his katana about to nudge the tip underneath her chin. The girl didn't even flinch; her cool, dark eyes showing no signs of fear.   
"You were warned we would show no mercy if you attacked us again." he sternly reminded her. She spread her hands slightly in acquiescence.   
"I'm not attacking you." she explained matter-of-factly. The turtle eyed her dubiously.   
"Then why are you here?"   
"I know where the boy is."   
"How?" asked Leo warily.   
"It would be easier if we could talk inside."   
"No. How?"   
"At times I'm called on to aid in the investigation of criminal activity. To this end, I have numerous contacts within the yakuza. I was not aware of Yamaguchi kidnapping this child, but it did not take me long to track down those who had been."   
"You've already led us to a listing of places he could be, why do you want to help us any further?"   
"The list is extensive, hai?" as he gave a nod the kunoichi continued "There is a very real chance that you would not locate the boy; before it is too late. Either the child or his father, possibly both, will likely be killed in the next few hours, days at the most, if things stay as they are."

After a moment of consideration, Leo queried;   
"You want Hattori dead, what do you have to gain?"   
"The destruction of Gosei Co. I will lead you to the boy, if Gosei Hattori agrees to disband the company completely within one month. He must sell all of its assets, but only as separate transactions to different buyers. There is to be no chance that another could simply take over the company, and easily maintain its corruption. Afterwards; Gosei Hattori must return to Tokyo to accept his fate." Leo gave a small laugh in disbelief.   
"That doesn't sound like a very good deal for him!"   
"Perhaps not, but his son will live."   
"And if he doesn't agree?"   
"I walk away," her level tone darkening "for now."

He tried to read her unwavering eyes, to deduce if her offer was some kind of ruse; the almost complete blackness of her iris still un-nerved him slightly. Deciding to let Hattori have the final say on whether or not to reject her deal, he motioned for Raph to come out from behind the door and stand beside him. Only when his brother was ready in place, guarding the doorway, did Leo speak again.   
"Do not move. If you should do so much as drop your hands, or take a step, we will kill you." he directed firmly. She hitched an eyebrow slightly at Raphaels' eager smirk, his grip tightening on the handles of his ready sai, before she gave a small nod that she understood. Leo hesitated a moment longer to drop his blade from her throat, and hurriedly stepped aside to explain the situation to his employer.

As they waited in silence, Raph glared evilly at their visitor. He quickly became frustrated that she simply met his look with a cool one of her own, seemingly relaxed despite her situation. It didn't seem right to him. Almost without exception every other woman he'd met had been unsettled, in the least, by his mere presence; due to their fear and revulsion. How could she just stand there, completely unfazed?

Starting to feel as if he were the one under scrutiny, caught in her indefatigable gaze, he broke off eye contact to slowly range down her body. She stood almost a head taller than he, her lithe build readily apparent even with her conservative attire. Catching a look at the geta peeking out beneath the hem of her outfit, Raph allowed his eyes to meander back up again, taking time to note the way her arms were lifted helped to accentuate certain aspects of her physique.

For the most part, he was only curious… other than April, he'd rarely had a chance to simply look at a live woman. If he hadn't witnessed first-hand what this girl was capable of, he'd have thought her too soft and young to be a ruthless killer.

From what he'd seen of her that morning, when they'd tended to her wounds, she didn't even have any real scars. Aside from the damage she'd taken in the last couple of days, her skin was almost flawless save for a few faint marks here and there which looked as if they had been drawn on with white chalk. He guessed she'd lied about 'purging Japan of criminals for over a decade'. Surely there was no way she could be older than twenty. He grinned in smug satisfaction as he met her gaze again; the spark of irritation at his uncouth appraisal obvious in her dark eyes.

Leonardo returned to disrupt their silent wrangle.   
"Hattori agrees to your terms. Now tell me which building Heiji is in." he demanded.   
"No." she said levelly. The brothers shared a quick glance in disbelief, both tensing in frustration at her reply.   
"What?" exclaimed Leo "Why won't you tell us? I said we agreed to…"   
"He is not in a building," she calmly interrupted "I will have to lead you to him."   
"Oh no, you don't. Tell us where he is, and we will go fetch him."

The kunoichi paused momentarily to draw and release a long, calm breath through her nose, before complying with the turtles' demand.   
"Very well, he is on a boat anchored on a deep water mooring at the Tokyo Yacht Club. The registered name of the yacht is 'Shinkiro', however it is not written on the hull, like many others kept in the same marina. I am familiar with the vessel, but if you are sure that you will be able to pick that particular yacht from the dozens of similar ones surrounding it…" she left the sentence hanging with a slight shrug.

Raphs' low growl fractured the brief silence that followed. Leo didn't mind; it pretty well communicated how he felt about this whole situation too. He was desperately trying to think of an alternative course of action that would appeal to Hattori, anything that would yield them the boy just as quickly without them having to rely on this woman any further. Leo did reach out to grip his brothers' arm, however, as the kunoichi smirked slightly.

"I'll leave you to your decision," she continued, impassively "I will wait in the laneway behind the kitchen. If you do not join me shortly, I will assume that you don't require my assistance. Whether you accept my aid or not is inconsequential; either way I consider our deal set. Gosei Hattori is to return in one month." The resolute tone she used for her last sentence held the most emotion Leo had heard her use tonight.

She took a step backwards before dropping her hands, clasping them in front of her to give a small bow. Leo ignored Raphs' scowl, as he returned the gesture. The turtles watched as she walked silently to the end of the hall and disappeared down the stairs before they finally closed the door.   
"Hmmm…" Leo rubbed the back of his neck in thought.   
"Trap?" asked Raph.   
"Trap." confirmed Leo.

Ten minutes later, Leo led his team out of the ryokan the same way most of them had entered (only Mike had accompanied Hattori through the main entrance). He was pleased to see that Hattori made the journey across the roof and down the drainpipe relatively easily and quietly, despite his lack of experience in such things. Leo wasn't sure what kind of route the kunoichi was going to take to the waterfront, it was just another worry he had regarding this plan. But, as he'd suspected, Hattori had insisted on taking up the girls' offer despite all their warnings. Leo figured his employer was happy to make any deal with a devil, just to get his son back alive and as soon as possible.

As they hid in the deep shadows in the lee of the ryokan Leo glanced about anxiously for the kunoichi, worried that she may have already left since she hadn't actually told them how long she would wait for. Perhaps she had assumed that they wouldn't take her offer and had left straight away? Or had they just walked blindly into the trap that he was expecting?

Leo started slightly as a figure congealed from the shadows further down the laneway. The girl only waited a moment for them to recognise her, beckoning them to follow before she set off at a brisk pace.

His concerns over the terrain that she'd lead them over were well founded. If they weren't running through passages between buildings, much narrower than the alleyways they were used to at home, they were making their way over mostly sloping, tiled roofs. He and his family had no real trouble coping, but Hattori was slowly yet surely falling behind; causing the whole group to spread out even further as they all tried to maintain their positions. Just as Leo was about to reach out to grab her arm, certain that the girl hadn't realised the problem since she'd barely spared them a glance, she halted on a rare flat roof.

As he waited for everyone else, Leo couldn't help but notice the river flowing next to his building. It was spanned by a large number of bridges; most of which were low, simple and well-lit structures, crowded with early evening traffic and pedestrians. Even the water was swarming with boats; ferries, smaller water-taxis, and more than a dozen private vessels. In the distance was a large suspension bridge, beyond which the river opened out into the wider expanse of Tokyo Port. Leo hoped that that wasn't where she was planning to cross the water. He didn't think Hattori would be skilled enough to even attempt truck-surfing; it was likely that he'd be killed if he did.

Of the two assigned to assisting Hattori, Mike was the first to reach the roof-top. He had been surging ahead even before the kunoichi had stopped; probably to ask for a rest for his charge, or so Leo guessed, leaving Don to aid the man. Splinter and Raph were further behind, bringing up the rear guard.

Mike leaned on his knees for a moment, taking the opportunity to quickly catch his breath, before looking up to ask,   
"How far have we come so far?"   
"Half-way." answered the girl dispassionately, not even turning her head to address him. She hadn't stopped pacing since she had reached the roof-top, constantly patrolling the edge.   
"Where are we headed?" Mike continued. As Leo had presumed she pointed to a location somewhere across the river.   
"Oh." Mike watched her for a moment. "My name's Michelangelo by the way." Only a slight tilt of her head acknowledged that she'd even heard him. "And you are?" he persisted.   
"You don't need to know." There was no change to her tone.   
"Well, what do we call you then? If we need to…" he petered out, as she fixed him with a cool glare.   
"'Kunoichi'." she instructed after a brief consideration, quickly returning to her vigil.   
"That's not really a name…"   
"It will suffice." she cut in, her voice taking on a hard edge.

Mike shared a brief look with Leo, both turning to see how far off their kin were. As the girl passed by him, Mike noticed the edge of the bandage they'd treated her with that morning, peeking out between the neck-line of her kimono and the bun in her hair.   
"Doesn't it hurt your back? Leaping around on rooftops, I mean." he asked, realising that her injuries didn't seem to slow her down at all. She glared at him again, one eyebrow raised in scepticism.   
"Of course." she stated condescendingly, her brief scowl a discouragement to any further conversation before she stalked away to check the far side of the roof once more.

A few minutes later Raph and Splinter finally reached the roof top, close behind Don and Hattori. Leo caught the kunoichi by the arm, right as she nearly made a move to drop down the side of the building.   
"Hattori needs a rest." he urged in a whisper. She wrenched her arm free; then turned to address the group as a whole.   
"The next section of our journey isn't as strenuous. Can you continue?" As the turtle feared, Hattori nodded, too out of breath to speak. She favoured them with a disdainful smile before leaping down the single story to land in the narrow passageway below.

Not wanting to lose sight of her in the shadows, Leo and the rest of the group quickly followed her down over the edge. For a brief second he feared she had given them the slip, until he spied her crouched at the base of the building. She was punching a code into a small number pad swiftly hidden behind a panel that merged almost seamlessly with the rendered wall. With a slight hiss, a section of the concrete path lifted up to reveal a stairway which led down into pitch black. Reaching into her satchel, she then tossed small plastic tubes to Hattori and Splinter, instructing,   
"After we are below ground and the trap-door secured, bend these as if to crack them."

She kept one for herself, leading the way underground. Once the group was gathered at the bottom of the stone staircase, a 'click' sounded. The trapdoor began to close, plunging all of them into complete darkness for a moment before the glow sticks took effect; lighting up the narrow passage with a green, phosphorescent glimmer.

Without a word, the girl set off along the tunnel. Leo had to wonder how many years ago it had been made; it almost would have reminded him of home if it hadn't been lined mainly with wood. The tunnel had obviously been repaired over time, as some of its panels were nearly rotten through from the moisture gleaming on the walls, in sharp contrast to the brighter new sections of timber. Thankfully, the rough-hewn planks gave off a pleasant tang that almost over-rode the scent of damp.

By his reckoning, Leo was sure that the passage actually ran on much further than the opposite bank of the river. Reaching the far end 'Kunoichi' took back the other two sticks, tucking them back into her bag to then fetch out a small palm-top computer. Don managed to catch a glimpse of what he assumed to be a live-feed from a camera panning across a corner of an underground car-park, a wooden plant room door visible set in the wall. Taking heed of the information being broadcast on the small screen, the girl set-off up the stairs.

Despite her surveillance, she still took a moment to listen at the reinforced steel door at the top. Leo wondered how she could hope to hear anything, though his father seemed to prick up his ears as well. Opening it cautiously, she stepped out and impatiently waved the rest of them through into the deserted car-park; pocketing her equipment back into her satchel.

Being the first one of the group to go through, Leo had a moment to scrutinise the set-up. He was certain that he spotted a vague outline of another hidden panel for an access keypad set in the concrete wall, close to the door that was camouflaged with an innocuous wooden veneer on the outside. The turtle couldn't help but give a quick shake of his head at the odd blend of new and old technology.

Furtively, she led them up the ramps of the multi-story car-park, the solid concrete of the walls giving way to ramparts that were open to the night sky as they made their way to the higher levels. As they reached a floor adjacent to a neighbouring rooftop, they jumped to next building from the open side of the car-park to continue their journey.

Trying to get his bearings, Leo suddenly realised that he'd been right with his assumption about the tunnel. The river was no-where in sight, and a faint scent of salt water was carrying on the breeze. Within a matter of minutes they found themselves on the sloping metal roof a boat-house, set a distance away from a brightly lit two-story building. The words 'Yumenoshima Marina' were painted in white across the top of the blue clubroom.

Below them the marina was surrounded by low sea walls, easily over 100 yachts bobbing on top of the calm water contained within. There were numerous jetties, with quite a few motor boats moored alongside, and the occasional sail boat. However, most of the yachts were anchored to buoys in the deeper water.

Taking in the scene, Leo had to admit the kunoichi had been right about the difficulties they'd have in identifying the correct boat out of the fleet below. Even the rare hulls that carried names were difficult to make out as the vessels shifted with the tide, blocking one another from view. Glancing beyond the sea walls the young ninja frowned in confusion as he noticed lights twinkling opposite, realizing that the marina was actually set on the shore of a wide river.

"I thought we'd gone under the river?" he wondered out aloud.   
"We did; the Sumida River. This is the Arakawa." The girl explained, barely looking up from where she was rummaging through her bag.   
"Which boat is it?" demanded Hattori hoarsely, as he struggled to regain his breath. Straightening she perused the scene below with a pair of binoculars, pointing to one moored close to the gap in the sea-wall. She handed the man the glasses so he could look for himself. With his keen eye-sight Splinter could make out two people on the deck of the yacht she had picked out.

"Ah, what do you think you're doing?" asked Raph, drawing everyone's attention as the kunoichi began to remove her obi.   
"Taking you to the yacht." she scowled lightly, starting to get annoyed at having to state what she assumed to be the obvious.   
"No." commanded Leo, only to get a coolly raised eyebrow in response.   
"Taking a motor-boat will arouse too much attention. We need to move silently and quickly!" she instructed; a thread of irritation in her voice.   
"Exactly." agreed Leo "And we are faster swimmers than you. You will stay here with Splinter and Hattori; and…"   
"No! I'm going with you!" interrupted Hattori, already hopping to take off his shoe. Splinter stilled him with a paw on his arm.   
"Hattori-sama, Leonardo is right. My sons will be able to reach and free Heiji much more quickly and easily without us."

The kunoichi watched as Hattori reluctantly conceded, before giving a curt nod of her own as she re-tied her belt.   
"I want you to give me your word that you will do them no harm." Leo insisted of her as he and his brothers stripped off their gi.   
"They're no use to me dead, yet." she assured impassively.   
"Not good enough." warned Leo in a dark tone.   
"Yes it is." interjected Hattori, harshly "Just get down there and find my son!" Taken aback slightly by the man's forceful demand, Leo gave his employer a brief bow. As he did so, he caught his fathers' eye in the process; feeling re-assured when he received a small nod that he was taking the right course of action. Turning around, the turtle then followed his brothers, as they all jumped silently down from the roof.


	9. Chapter 9

Even with the aid of the binoculars Hattori strained to see the turtles. At first he scanned the water between the boat shed and the yacht the kunoichi had pointed out, to no avail. Widening his search, by chance he noticed the smallest flicker of movement on the sea wall, almost dismissing it as a play of light amongst the rocks before he scanned the area again to be sure. Whatever had caught his attention on the wall was long-gone; leaving the slightest ripple on the water at the point the wall was closest to the boat.

To ease the strain on his tired eyes Hattori dropped the binoculars away from his face for a moment, glancing around to see Splinter stood motionless next to him gazing out at the yacht. Hattori wondered if the rat could actually see what was happening or was just looking where he expected his sons to be. The kunoichi was silently patrolling the roof top behind them.

Hattori peered back at the boat with his magnified view to see the two men on the deck leaning over the railing as if looking for something in the water. As they straightened they both suddenly stiffened and fell backwards out of sight.

It felt as if an age passed to Hattori. Sweat beaded on his brow despite the chill breeze coming off the river as he failed to see any further movement on the yacht. He was starting to fear the turtles had failed somehow, or that Heiji was caught in the middle of a stand-off. Any number of things that could have gone wrong paraded through Hattori's mind.

So focussed was he, straining his eyes for any clue regarding what was happening onboard the Shinkiro, that Hattori gasped lightly in surprise when the water at the rear of the boat began to churn. The swirl turned to a wake as the yacht slowly started to move, picking its' way cautiously towards the boat shed the trio were stood upon.

Softly chuckling despite himself in relief, Hattori glanced at Splinter. He wondered why the rat appeared a touch distracted, his eyes seeming to follow something moving past their building though there was nothing there that Hattori could see.

Looking back over his shoulder at the kunoichi, Hattori realised her eyes were closed although she continued to patrol the roof top. She stepped right up to the precipice, turning at the last moment to stalk back along the edge of the roof without pause. How she could do that without sight was beyond Hattori. With a quick shake of his head at the oddity he went back to observing the passage of the boat with the binoculars; too relieved and anxious to finally see his son safe to give much thought to anything else.

Splinter, meanwhile, had kept half an eye on the Shinkiro. However, confident in his sons' abilities, he had focussed most of his mind on tuning into his own surroundings. He felt quite exposed upon the high corrugated roof, despite the shadows cloaking that section of the marina. And a strong presence on the astral plane nearby had pricked at his mind. He was thankful it wasn't attacking him directly, but he could sense it all around him.

At first he felt it akin to an eddy sweeping around their outpost on the roof. But as he concentrated upon it, the energy coalesced in his minds' eye. Now Splinter could almost see it superimposed on reality; a faint glimmer reflecting off the hint of a pale, smooth coat. It gave him the impression of a massive creature prowling through the air, as if on the hunt. For what? The rodent could not say. He was only grateful it seemed to have no interest in him or his group.

"I'm heading down there." Hattori's declaration fractured the silence on the roof, the yacht close to pulling along-side a jetty to one side of the boat-shed.

"Let me lead the way, Hattori-sama." advised Splinter. The man gave a nod in agreement, and then glanced over at the kunoichi.

"What about her?" he asked. Splinter followed Hattori's curt gesture to see the kunoichi was stood rigid on a far corner of the roof. She looked to be searching for something in the distance. However, from the side view he had of her face, Splinter realised her eyes were shut tight in deep concentration.

"Go." she ordered flatly, not turning from her blind search. "Time is short."

Tacitly accepting her instruction, the pair swiftly made their way over to an access ladder running up the outer wall of the boat shed.

"Gosei Hattori-jukeisha." called the girl in her cold monotone, giving the man pause before he started his climb down. "Remember, one month. Have no doubt; I will come for you, if you do not honour our agreement."

"I keep my word, you can be sure of that." assured Hattori, masking his annoyance at her choice of title for him. He offered her a slight, awkward bow from the top of the ladder, despite the fact she hadn't so much as glanced his way at all, before he swiftly followed Splinter down to the ground.

Reaching the dock, Hattori was overjoyed to see his son waving in excitement from the yacht railing as the boat drew closer. He was quick to catch Heiji when the boy leapt down as soon as the hull touched the wood of the jetty, hugging his son tightly to his chest as if he'd never let him go again. Ignoring his own tears, Hattori paid no mind to the turtles as they moored the boat, too concerned with consoling and reassuring his sobbing child.

"We should get going Otosan." murmured Leonardo after stepping down onto the dock to greet his Master.

"Just a moment, my son." Splinter held up a finger, distracted. Leonardo nodded his acquiescence, guessing his Father wanted to give Hattori and Heiji a little time before disturbing them. However the turtle furrowed his brow as he noticed Splinters' ears twitch and turn towards the boat-house they had previously been stood on.

Straining his own hearing, Leonardo could pick up the slightest tinkling. At first he thought it was glass breaking, but then he caught sight of the kunoichi's silhouette. She was rapidly pulling small things out of her satchel, handling the items briefly then tossing them to the ground an instant later; covering all of the access ways to their boat.

"Uh. I think we had better..." Leonardo paused as the kunoichi drew a blade from her bag, the knife about the length of her fore-arm, and then disappeared from view.

"Otosan, it is time for us to... ah!" Leonardo leapt aside as the kunoichi's satchel, crudely stuffed with the gi he and his brothers had left on the roof, flew down to land close to where he had been standing. A roar he wasn't certain resounded in his head or in his ears made him wince; convinced his Father could sense it too as his ears flattened backwards. Leonardo wasn't sure if there was a voice twining the noise, but its' meaning was clear;

"Leave!"

"Hattori-sama?" Splinter gained the man's attention with a gentle paw on his arm, Leonardo confused as to why Hattori hadn't reacted to the roar at all. "I am sorry, but I think it will be safer for you and your son upon the yacht."

"Why?" asked Hattori curtly, "I don't want Heiji to have to go back onboard that boat..." he followed the rats' pointing finger to see the shadows around them starting to move as a small army of black-clad ninja converged on the boat-house. The kunoichi was nowhere to be seen. Wide-eyed, Hattori nodded his understanding and swiftly carried his son back onto the yacht.

Leonardo was quick to follow the man, re-joining his brothers on the deck and ordering Donatello to get the engine started again. Splinter, however, lingered on the jetty, eyes on the boat-house.

"Otosan?" Leonardo called quietly, leaning over the railing on the yacht. "Sensei?" he tried again when his Father didn't respond.

"They are not coming for us." explained Splinter in a murmur, finally turning to face Leonardo. "They are coming for her."

Taking a look for himself, Leonardo could see his Fathers' point. The vast majority of the ninja were making their way to the opposite side of the boat-house. Unsure if this was some kind of ploy by the kunoichi, but unable to come up with any reason why she would not have simply attacked Hattori outright whilst they had been fetching Heiji, Leonardo let his shoulders sag for a split-second before setting his jaw and turning back to his brothers standing confused behind him.

"Don, Raph; you stay here and guard Hattori and Heiji. Keep the engine running. Mike; you're with us."

Ignoring Raphaels' grumble, Michelangelo didn't hesitate to vault the railing onto the dock. Splinter led the trio back into the darkened lee of the boat-house, halting them with a raised paw as he crouched to investigate what the kunoichi had dropped.

"Tetsubishi." he asserted, rising again with a duplicate of the shuriken he had blocked with his walking staff on their first encounter with the girl. All four of the arms had been bent at 45 degree angles; two opposing arms in one direction, the other pair in the opposite direction. This resulted in at least one of the wicked points of the weapon angling upwards no matter how it fell.

The tetsubishi were scattered liberally, making either path around the boat-house treacherous. Soft yelps and quiet cursing gave away the fact that some of the ninja had fallen a-foul of the little devices. Splinter directed his team upwards, scaling the walls with their shuko.

Reaching the vacant rooftop, the sight that greeted them as they cautiously looked over the far edge of the roof gave the trio pause. The kunoichi was making her stand within a small car-park nestled between the marina buildings. She was encircled by a large mob of the ninja, three or four of them darting forward at a time to attack her directly. Others chose to harass her from a distance, throwing shuriken at any given opportunity. Not that she gave them many, using her closer foes as shields against the ranged attacks, and holding her own quite well despite her blade being much shorter than most of those she faced in closer quarters.

However, the skirmish was taking its' toll. The kunoichi's komon was fast becoming tattered and torn, some sections of the material clinging to her frame where blood -both hers and her enemies- soaked it to her skin. Rents in her sleeves exposed the kurokote she wore beneath them.

Despite the frenzied dance of her battle, it was clear she was keeping her eye on a deeper area of darkness under the overhang of a building at the far end of the parking lot. Splinter could just make out the silhouette of a tall, bulky man stood within the shadows, nonchalantly leaning his elbow atop a staff as he observed the combat playing out before him.

There was a sudden flash, bright enough to make Splinter and his two sons cringe away from the light for a moment to protect their eyes and not give away their position overlooking the scene. The kunoichi wasn't so lucky, coughing from the fumes produced by the magnesium flare that had been set off beside her face when the man who had been stood in the shadow moved with astonishing speed for his size. His staff was revealed as the handle to a huge war hammer, which he swung deftly to connect with her left shoulder, sending the kunoichi flying.

Landing in a crumpled heap, the girl didn't get a chance to move a muscle before she was set upon by the horde of ninja. A few moments later the throng parted slightly to reveal the kunoichi now had thick lead-ropes secured about her ankles, wrists and neck. Each cord was gripped by a team of at least two ninja, although she was also restrained by the hand holds many others kept upon her.

She didn't fight them. At least, not physically; her left arm limp and her head lolling forward, she still directed a defiant glare at the man with the hammer. Even so, some of the ninja close to her flinched away from her at times. As he sauntered up to her, the man with the hammer also veered his head briefly for a moment, treating the girl to a dark scowl as he stopped before her.

"I have never understood why you have been so favoured." he sneered. "First Sensei. Then our Jonin allowing you such freedom. I've always known you were weak. But I never imagined you would be so pathetic as to fall for a condemned man with a child in tow!"

Suddenly he recoiled again, for no reason the turtles could see. Hefting his war hammer in both hands, he looked at the kunoichi with a sadistic grin.

"You are going to pay dearly for your treachery Kin-chin. If it were up to me, you would die here and now. However, our Jonin wishes to oversee your punishment. And I can't risk you continuing to distract us with your little mind games now, can I?" With that he forcefully shoved his knee between her legs, taking her weight. At a nod from him the ninjas to her right pulled her leg out to the side as he casually dangled his hammer above her shin, giving a chuckle as he watched her try in vain to struggle free.

"Niisan!" she finally exclaimed, a slight edge of fear to her voice. "Don't do this…!" As if that were his cue, he dropped his hammer. The kunoichi screamed as her lower leg snapped, the weight of the metal and angle of her calf pushed the fractured bones through the flesh on the inside of her leg, to spray blood on the pavement.

Her cry seemed to resonate on a deeper note within Leonardos' head, continuing after she fell into a silent slump. He echoed it with his own battle cry as he readily followed his Master in leaping down from the rooftop to attack her antagonist, Michelangelo a heart-beat behind him. Distracted as he was with laughing over his victims' fate, the large man was taken by surprise; unable to shove the girl off his leg in time to effectively fend off the rats' first assault.

Stumbling backwards without his weapon, wiping his own blood from his eyes that ran from deep scratches on his forehead, the man struggled to evade the subsequent attacks from the two turtles. His allies were his saving grace. Despite his troop of ninja swiftly closing in to meet this new challenge, he bellowed an order for them all to vanish as he clasped his hand over his wounds.

An instant later Splinter and the turtles found themselves coughing in a cloud of acrid, evil scented smoke. As it cleared they realised they were alone, except for the kunoichi who remained pinned by the weight of the massive hammer upon her broken leg.

Managing to shakily lift her head a small distance off the ground, she scowled at her rescuers.

"Why did you not leave? This was not your fight. You had no right to interfere!" she accused.

Michelangelo looked to his kin with an arched eye-ridge.

"Nice." he deadpanned.

* * *

"My sons, we must leave." urged Splinter as he stepped aboard.

"I'm on it!" Donatello gave a thumbs-up, already untying the mooring rope before vaulting up to the bridge of the boat.

"What happened here?" Leonardo asked of Raphael, realising his brother had been wrapping a bandage about Hattori's bicep, Heiji's pale face peeking around the cabin door.

"Nuthin' much. A couple of those ninja got through to us, managed to nick Hattori with a shuriken. He'll live. Now-" Raphael grabbed his brother by the shoulder to tug him beak to beak, "-what the hell is she doing here?" he growled.

"Which way do we go?" interrupted Donatello inadvertently, his concentration set on guiding the boat away from the jetty. "Up river or out to sea?"

"To the ocean." replied Splinter, barely looking up from his work splinting the girls' shattered leg. "We will be more difficult to locate…"

"Baka!" gasped the kunoichi, propping herself up on her elbow. "You will not find a place you can hide from them. I know… know a…" her head lolled back as she fought to remain conscious.

"Rest now." encouraged Splinter, slipping a paw beneath her head to lower her gently back down upon the deck. With an effort the kunoichi refocused her gaze.

"Go up river… Nikko…" she murmured, gripping Splinters' arm with her assertion, her hold faltering as she almost passed out again.

"Very well." conceded Splinter with a small nod. "Calm yourself, you are safe with us." he assured in earnest, before turning away briefly to convey her instruction to Donatello.

Kneeling close beside the girl as he assisted his father in her treatment, Michelangelo gave her an awkward smile as she blinked her eyes back open to focus on his face. He found himself unable to hold his curiosity in check.

"Was that guy…? Was he really your brother?" he probed in an uncertain whisper. Despite her wooziness the kunoichi managed to reply with a look dark enough to make Michelangelo draw back a little.

"Kin-san?" Splinter questioned in concern, turning back to note her expression. The threat drained swiftly from her face as she set her attention back on the rat.

"They may attack…" she warned in a rasp, touching a trembling hand to her temple. "Some are strong. Keep your…" she drew a shuddering breath. "Keep mind closed. Keep…" her words failed as she finally slumped into unconsciousness.

"Well that's just friggin' great! Can someone tell me why the hell we're trusting…?" Raphaels' sarcastic anger was cut short by a solid 'thud' and Heiji's sharp cry of alarm behind him as Hattori toppled from his seat. Swiftly Leonardo and Raphael picked the man up, trying in vain to wake him.

"Lay him down, here." directed Splinter urgently, quickly leaving the girl in Michelangelos' care to tend to his employer. He ensured his sons placed the man close to the doorway so Heiji could clearly see his father. Peeling back the bandage wrapped about the Hattori's bicep, Splinter grimaced at the faint purple stain starting to spread under the skin from the site of the graze. "Poison." he uttered in disgust.

* * *

"Hello there." Michelangelo crooned to the frightened child who had fled before him and his brothers to huddle at the far end of the cabin. Raphael and Leonardo settled Hattori onto a bunk with care, Leonardo checking the tourniquet and dressings on the man's arm then grabbing a towel to gently mop his brow. Splinter had done all he could to stem the spread of the poison. However Hattori remained comatose, despite starting to twitch and sweat.

Michelangelo crouched to get on a level with the kid.

"Your name is Heiji, right? I'm Michelangelo. We're not gonna hurt you, ok?" he shuffled forward a step, stopping as Heiji curled tighter. Michelangelo wracked his brain a moment before his face lit with an idea. Rummaging in his belt pockets he found half of a crumpled bar of chocolate. Peeling back the wrapper he broke off a small corner of the treat, rolling his eyes and moaning in delight at the taste as he held the rest of the bar out to the boy. Heiji started to reach out for the sweet then suddenly drew back into his huddle.

"_No lolly from st'anger!_" pouted the boy in defiance.

Taken aback Michelangelo glanced to his brothers for ideas, getting a curt shrug from Raphael. Michelangelo treated the hot-head to a frown before fitting a smile back on his face to look to Heiji.

"_That's right! Very good. But we're not strangers. We know your Dad. We came to help him get you back from those bad guys._"

Heiji considered Michelangelo's words a moment.

"_You hurt bad guys._" he accused uncertainly.

"_Yes. Yes we did._" admitted Michelangelo. "_But we wouldn't hurt you. We want to help you, and your Dad. Can we be friends?_" he asked, offering the Hershey's again with a cajoling grin. Heiji eyed him suspiciously.

"_You look funny!_" blurted the boy.

Michelangelo grimaced, as much at the child's words as at the irate snort from Raphael that made the boy flinch back. Michelangelo didn't have to look behind him to know Leonardo had wrapped a calming hand around Raphaels' arm. Michelangelo plastered a smile back on his face.

"_You look pretty funny to us too, kid! But we like ya anyway._" he winked.

"_You do?_" Heiji asked timidly.

"_Yeah! Only special people get to eat my chocolate! You don't see me giving any to him, do ya?_" grinned Michelangelo, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder toward Raphael.

Heiji finally gave a shadow of a smile, reaching to grab the sweet before huddling back in his corner, shoving the bar in his mouth. Michelangelo looked back over his shoulder to get a nod of approval from Leonardo, a dark scowl from Raphael.

"_T'ank 'ou._" mumbled the boy around his mouthful.

"_At least the kid's polite._" shrugged Michelangelo with a grin. Raphael wasn't impressed.

"_Yeah, whatever._" grumped Raphael. "_Why do we always end up in a mess like this?_"

"_What d'ya mean?_" asked Michelangelo, keeping his movements smooth and slow as he sat on the floor a little closer to the boy.

"_What d'ya mean, 'what do I mean'?!_" Raphael threw his hands in the air. "_We're stuck in friggin' Japan with a brat and a dead man whilst our Master sits around up there with that bitch!_"

"_Hey!_" Michelangelo scolded his brother, more with his eyes than his tone. "_Ease up on the 'ead-day an-may' stuff will ya? Anyway, that's not true._" he continued, making sure he caught Heiji's eye and adding more emphasis to his words for the boys' benefit. "_Hattori is gonna be just fine. Our Dad knows more about how to make a sick person better than anyone else we know!_"

"_You are right Michelangelo._" Leonardo added, adopting the same weighted tone as Michelangelo. "_Besides, you should not swear in front our young friend Raphael._" Raphael gave a snort in contempt.

"_It ain't swearin' when it's the damn truth._" he muttered. "_Why the hell did you guys bring her back here?_"

"_She would have died if we hadn't intervened._" Leonardo pointed-out levelly.'

"_And that would be a bad thing… because?_" derided Raphael.

"_As much as I hate to admit it, she has given us a lot of aid in finding Heiji. I think Splinter feels we owe her…_"

"_What the hell?_" Raphael cut off Leonardo. "_'Owe'?! That's the biggest crock of sh…_" he petered out under the sharp glare from his leader. "_Crud._" revised Raphael. "_Is 'crud' ok to use, oh illustrious one?_" he needled sarcastically. Leonardo merely rolled his eyes in reply.

"_C'mon guys, she's here now. No point fighting over it._" put in Michelangelo.

"_She doesn't have to be._" countered Raphael. "_What's to stop us dumping her overboard?_"

"_Just a couple of little things like compassion and honour, Raph._" Leonardo argued.

"_Yeah, like she'd show either of those ta us. I'm tellin' ya Leo; keeping her with us is a bad idea. You heard what she said before she passed out; her little buddies can trace her… mind, or whatever!_"

"_No, she said she knows of a place we can hide from them._"

"_What?! Which friggin' kunoichi were you listenin' to? I didn't hear anythin' like that!_"

"_Well, she didn't quite get to say it…_"

"_Guys, guys!_" Michelangelo soothed, tilting his head towards the kid cowering in the corner. "_This isn't the best time to discuss this kinda thing like this, 'k?_"

"_Hmph, I just don't see what good Splinter sees in her is all._" grumbled Raphael.

"_You know what I think?_" Michelangelo shrugged. "_I think Splinter's sweet on her._" he said casually, not seeing the way both his brothers' jaws dropped as he kept his eye on Heiji.

"_What?!_" Leonardo demanded, Raphael snapped in unison, making the boy jump.

"_Guys!_" Michelangelo admonished the two with a brief scowl again.

"_What exactly do you mean by 'sweet', Mike?_" Leonardo asked; his tone dangerously low.

"_You know, that he likes her… 'that' way. She's not that hard on the eye, and she doesn't seem too fazed by us. And they seem to have… something going on between 'em. She even called him a fool and he didn't bat an eyelid! D'ya think Sensei'd let any of us get away with that?! It explains everything._" Michelangelo shrugged again, as if his hypothesis were obvious. Leonardo and Raphael shared a long look of utter disbelief.

"_I don't think so Mike._"

"_No. Fucking. Way._"


	10. Chapter 10

It was well into the small hours of the morning. Splinter still knelt upon the deck of the Shinkiro, keeping his meditative vigil beside the unconscious kunoichi. Her warning had been true and the strain of fending off multiple mental attacks over the course of the night had Splinter feeling utterly exhausted.

Yet he persisted, defending all upon the yacht from the incursions. Using the rare moments of peace to investigate Hattori's mind, gently inquiring of the mans' linked ancestral spirits, hoping for some clue as to the poison that had been used against him. Unfortunately most of Hattori's ancestors followed the more staunchly honourable way of Bushido and knew little detail of the methods of Ninjutsu, let alone what poisons any specific ninja clan might use. It wasn't a toxin used by the Foot, of that much Splinter was certain.

The yachts' engine sputtered to a stop. With an immense effort Splinter managed to lift his head, crack open an eye to fix it upon Donatello as his son made his way down from the bridge to the front of the boat and then returned to crouch beside him.

"Otosan, there's a weir ahead. We're not going to be able to travel any closer to Nikko on the river. I haven't seen any signs of pursuit. I've moored us; can we rest here for the night?"

Splinter closed his eyes, another strong attack from the astral plane assaulting his defences. Donatello waited patiently for his fathers' answer.

"No." Splinter finally managed. "We must keep moving."

"Okay Otosan, I'll figure something out." assured Donatello, concerned for the fatigue etched deeply on his fathers' face.

Heading into the cabin below Donatello found Leonardo keeping watch over Hattori, the man shivering badly in his coma despite his sheets being soaked in sweat. Raphael was snoring lightly on a bunk set on the opposite wall and Michelangelo was sat on the floor at the far end of the cabin, resting against a cabinet door as he slumbered with Heiji curled asleep on his lap.

Explaining their situation to Leonardo in hushed tones, Donatello silently raided the fridge. Relieved to find it well stocked with caffeinated soft drinks, he grabbed a few extra as he quickly downed one. Sure they would come in handy as Raphael cursed Leonardo emphatically for waking him. Snatching one of the cans from Donatello as Leonardo gave him his orders, Raphael merely grunted in assent before heading out of the cabin, Donatello in tow.

It wasn't long before the two brothers returned, Leonardo pleased with the large white van they had acquired. Stripping the three empty bunks on the yacht, the turtles padded the floor of the van as well as they could with the thin mattresses and blankets before moving Hattori. Donatello stayed guarding the van and their employer as Leonardo and Raphael returned to the Shinkiro to assist their Master off the boat. Much to Raphaels' chagrin, Splinter insisted they move the girl first.

"We would never have found Heiji without her help." asserted Splinter, his tone strong despite the weak rasp of his voice.

"Y_eah, we never woulda been in this mess without her either._" Raphael grumbled under his breath as he roughly hoisted her up by her shoulders, Leonardo having taken advantage of Raphaels' reluctance to take his place cradling her legs. He took care not to disturb her broken bones any more than necessary.

Once they had also gotten Splinter onto the dock, Leonardo left his Master in Raphaels' care to get settled in the van, returning to gently rouse Michelangelo. Despite their efforts to prevent it, Heiji stirred as Michelangelo shifted. The boy cringing away from Leonardo crouched beside him with a frightened whimper.

"_Hey, shh. It's okay, I've gotcha. Nothin' bad's gonna happen to ya while I've gotcha, promise. Okay?_" soothed Michelangelo. Both turtles relieved as the child flung his arms around Michelangelo's neck, clinging tightly.

"_Good work._" Leonardo praised softly with a terse smile, giving Michelangelo as wide a berth as he could in the narrow confines of the cabin to allow his brother to carry the boy outside. Michelangelo flashed Leonardo a grin in response before he disappeared through the doorway.

Before he left Leonardo made quick work of ransacking the cabin. Wrenching one of the wide drawers fitted beneath the bunks loose he used it as a make-shift container to pile the rest of the contents of the fridge, first aid kits, the small fire extinguisher, sharp utility knives, a stack of small bowls, detergent, a pistol and two spare clips he found hidden in an overhead compartment and a few changes of clothes into. Hefting that load out to the van he returned to strip the yachts' compass and as much rope from the rigging as he could within the few minutes he allowed himself for the task.

Closing the back doors of the van behind himself, Leonardo settled himself on the floor, cross-legged before his Father, as Raphael pulled out. Donatello in the passenger seat, pouring through a map book he'd found in the glove compartment. With Hattori and the kunoichi lain out down either side of the van, Michelangelo was huddled between the two humans with his shell propped against the back of the seats. Heiji still clung fiercely to the turtles' neck. Tears trickled down the boys' cheeks as he stared down at Hattori's pale, taut face.

Faintly Leonardo could hear Michelangelo murmuring a fairy tale Splinter had often used to get them to sleep when they were very young. The memory, so distant it felt another lifetime away, coaxed a small smile to Leonardo's lips. It faded as he noticed his Master flinch in his meditation.

Leaning forward to gently grip Splinters' arm, instinctively reaching out with his heart and mind also, Leonardo's head was forced down under the brunt of the attack his Master was silently repelling. Closing his eyes, Leonardo leant his strength to the fight. A tear of shame he hadn't realised his Father was suffering so soaked into his mask as he felt Splinters' upsurge of relief and appreciation. The old rat swiftly hid the feelings behind a mental reprimand for Leonardo being so foolish as to leap into the midst of such a battle unprepared, Splinter gratefully assisting in channelling his sons' energy to where it was needed most regardless.

* * *

Dawn broke over the surrounding mountains, the light filtering through the alpine forest that crowded the road until the trees gave way to the small township of Nikko. Raphael distracting himself from his fatigue by studying how different the buildings looked bathed in sunlight as he drove past them at a crawl once again.

"_We really need to find somewhere to park up Donnie. People are startin' to stir. It won't take 'em long to figure we're bein' weird driving 'round and 'round like this. 'sides, we're just wastin' gas._"

"_You're right._" Donatello nodded hesitantly, casting a glance back at their passengers. None of them had stirred, though Donatello suspected neither Splinter nor Leonardo actually slept. "_I still think Splinter was being literal when he said we had to keep moving. But we need to know where to go from here. Maybe... Hopefully I can wake her._"

Raph gave a disgusted grunt, briefly flooring the accelerator as he cleared the town before slowing again to hunt for a side road that would take them deeper into the forest. Soon finding a track, the wheel ruts paved in pale stone, that meandered up the mountainside above Nikko. Pulling into a copse of trees, Raphael flung open his door to stretch his legs. Breathing deep made him feel heady; he'd never known air so crisp and fresh.

Donatello slipped out of his door quickly as well, grateful the cool air helped clear a little of the fatigue from his mind as he pulled open the back doors.

"_Kick Mike out, he and I'll take first watch._" grunted Raphael, working the stiffness from his muscles as Donatello hopped into the back of the van. Leonardo stirred slightly as Donatello eased past him and Splinter to check on Hattori's vital signs.

"_Is he okay?_" croaked Leonardo. Donatello schooled his worry from his face for how shallow and laboured Hattori's breathing was, how weak his pulse, and turned to Leonardo with a smile.

"_He's alive._" reported Donatello. Casting a brief glance over the man Leonardo grimaced.

"_Just._" he added his assessment. Reluctantly, Donatello gave a small nod in agreement.

"_We're in Nikko. We've been here for the last hour or so actually. I was hoping... I decided you all needed more rest before we disturbed you. Do you have any idea where we're meant to go from here? What we're meant to do?_"

"_No._"

"_Damn._" cursed Donatello softly.

Cautiously Donatello stepped over Michelangelo and Heiji to crouch beside the kunoichi, to check her vital signs as well. Feeling nervous about touching her throat, Donatello opted for picking up her wrist instead. His concern over-ridding his nerves as he failed to find a pulse, he slipped his fingers beneath the collar of her kimono. His light sigh of relief as he found her pulse turned to a gasp of surprise as she snatched his wrist, twisting it painfully.

"_Sorry!_" gasped Donatello. "_Just checking you're still with us._" he hoped his attempt at a smile would convince her to let him go. She glared at him briefly, her eyes flicking around the rest of the van before she released him and tentatively sat up. Nursing his wrist for a moment, Donatello didn't pay her much mind as she shifted until he realised she was leaving the van.

"_Hey, you need to take it easy!_ Donatello called after her, wincing himself as she dropped off the edge of the van floor and tried to stand, a pained low cry escaping her.

"_Where the fuck do ya think you're goin'?_" demanded Raphael. His lip curling as she ignored him to steady herself gripping the door of the van, lifting her head as if searching for something despite having her eyes closed.

"We're in Nikko. And Hattori still lives!" she exclaimed, genuinely surprised. She blindly cast about in a different direction briefly. "And we're close to..." Her head snapped up and she issued a long, low growl to the sky. The vicious sound sent a small chill down Donatello's spine, and he wondered if it were mere coincidence that both Leonardo and Splinter slumped in exhaustion where they sat a few moments after she started making it.

Her eyes still closed she fished in her kimono briefly, extracting a small chunk of natural chalk that had been dyed red. Hopping her way around the van by feel, Raphael following her closely, she scrawled weird, crude symbols he never seen before upon each panel and window of the vehicle, and on the ground immediately surrounding it. Completing her task at the back door she held up a hand to halt Donatello stepping out of the van. She cast about briefly again before cautiously opening her eyes.

"Wards?" enquired Donatello.

"Hai." the kunoichi answered. Her hand shot out grab Donatello by the rim of his shell protruding over his shoulder, tugging him close.

"Hey!?" he half-protested, half questioned as she yanked open his gi to scrawl another ward on the plates of his chest.

"Now you can leave the ring, they will not see you." she released him just as abruptly. "Do not disturb the wards." she warned in a dire tone before pulling the material of her komon aside enough to scratch a ward upon the skin below her clavicle.

"Stop." the kunoichi commanded as Raphael went to step over the line to enter the van. "You were outside, you cannot enter."

"The hell I can't!" snarled Raphael, planting his feet outside the ring nonetheless. Keeping his glower focused on the girl as she carefully hopped over the symbols she'd drawn on the ground. He gave a growl as she grasped his shoulder for support as she moved past him, the snarl turned to an indignant yell as she suddenly yanked him back against her front.

"Be still." she snapped, wrapping her arm firmly across the front of his shoulders. Raphael distracted from throwing her off by the kunoichi giving a low growl he felt vibrating through his shell more than heard. If he hadn't just seen her do the same to his brother, he would have broken her arm when she invaded his gi to scrawl the chalk upon his chest. It was all he could do to stop himself regardless. He relished the grunt she gave as he sharply elbowed himself free of her grip as soon as she completed the mark.

"Now you are free to come and go." she instructed Raphael levelly, nursing her ribs for a moment. "Do not disturb the wards." she reiterated with a stern jab of her finger.

"I got it. I'm not an idiot." he snarled, feeling a certain satisfaction he'd managed to get under her skin even if it earned him only a brief look of derision. "Why the hell didn't you draw these damn wards around us before, huh?"

"Other than being comatose?" the kunoichi's stoic visage returned. "These wards don't work on water. Plus the ring needs to be stationary. The land here feeds it as well, makes it stronger. In other places these wards would merely cloud our presence. Here, only a master could find us. But we can't remain long. They have reason to suspect I'd lead you here."

"What the fuck?! Then why the hell bring us here?" Raphael swiftly drew a sai. "If this is all just some huge fucking trap I'm gonna gut y-!"

"We need cucumbers." she blithely cut him off, Raphael blinking in irate disbelief as she calmly turned her back on him to address Donatello. "The morning market in Nikko should have already started."

"Why cucumbers?" asked Donatello, perplexed. "Are they a cure for Hattori?"

"No. But they can hopefully tempt a cure for us. And, possibly, safe refuge. We'll need nine." The kunoichi glanced down at her tattered and bloodied clothes then cocked her head in consideration as she looked over the ragged group within the van. "No, twenty. At least."

* * *

AN: Thank you very much for continuing to read this story. It has been such a long time since I updated it anything like regularly that I've been surprised and moved by the fact people are still willing to come back to read more of this one! *_bows to thee gratefully_*

I post all of my TMNT fan fiction on the Pizzas and Scrolls archive rather than on FFnet these days. I just felt it was only fair I updated this story here too since this was where it had it's start. You can find all of my TMNT works, plus an up-to-date Glossary covering all of the Japanese terms used in this story, on Pizzas and Scrolls. You can find the URL for Pizzas and Scrolls on my profile page or feel free to PM me for a link, if you wish.


	11. Chapter 11

After waking Michelangelo and explaining their situation to him, Donatello did all he could to settle Splinter and Leonardo comfortably upon the mattresses in the back of the van, both fighting a swiftly losing battle to remain conscious. In turn Michelangelo had gently woken Heiji. The boy looked about uncertainly, wondering why he wasn't waking from this dream and refused to relinquish his hold on Michelangelo's neck.

The kunoichi settled on the edge of the van floor letting her legs dangle. A brief grimace of pain breaching her mask not lost on Raphael, making him smirk. She gestured for Heiji to come closer and Michelangelo carried him to her, the boy still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as she drew her mark on his chest.

"Heiji-kun, do you want your Father to live?" she asked.

"What kind of question is that?" scowled Michelangelo, hugging Heiji closer as the boy whimpered.

"The important kind." the kunoichi asserted levelly. "There is a task that needs doing. It is the only chance we have to save Hattori. And Heiji-kun, you are the only one of us that can do it. Michelangelo-san can go with you, but it would be best if you let him walk behind you without holding his hand. Can you do that, Heiji-kun?"

Hesitantly the child let go of Michelangelo's neck to sit up straighter and give a brave nod.

"Good." she treated him to a brief, rare smile. "I need you to walk down into the town below us and purchase some food at the market."

Heiji's face crumpled in distress.

"The bad guys took my money!"

"Michelangelo-san will have enough to cover what we need. He will give it to you. You will only need to give it to the vendors. If Michelangelo-san gives it to them they may see him for what he is and be frightened. Do you understand?"

"No." whimpered the boy.

"I gotta admit I don't get it either." Michelangelo frowned. "How can I just go waltzing through a town to go shopping?"

"I can place a ward upon you that will make most people look past you. Although the less attention you attract the better it will work, which is why it is best if Heiji doesn't touch you any more than necessary. He will give passers-by something else to focus on that's away from you."

"Can't you go instead? He's only a kid and he's been through some really rough stuff already."

"The Kage no Renmei have no interest in the boy. It is Hattori and I they are targeting. If they attack us here, this arrangement will give you a chance to get Heiji to safety. Plus, he can walk."

Michelangelo considered her points a moment.

"Fair enough." he shrugged. "We can do this together, right squirt?" he grinned at Heiji, getting a firm nod from the boy in reply.

Heiji stood to one side watching, just as fascinated as Michelangelo, as the kunoichi drew a complex ward on the turtles' plastron. She paused a moment to spit on the tiny nub of chalk she had left, rubbing the saliva to make a coating of red-tinged paste before using the gunk to draw another small mark on his chest.

"Eew!" whispered Michelangelo, screwing his face up dramatically to coax a small snigger out of Heiji. The kunoichi tugged on Michelangelo's chin, forcing his cheek flat again to draw another small mark on his face. "Double eew!"

"My apologies if this makes you uncomfortable. I mean you no offence, but I need to make the ward for people to look past one as striking as you as strong as possible. And that takes more than blood."

Michelangelo eyed the fragment of red chalk in disgust.

"Serious?!"

"It's my blood. You've not been squeamish to touch it before."

"That's still... really gross."

"Is it?" she asked, genuinely perplexed.

"Hai." stated Michelangelo bluntly.

"Oh. Then I sincerely apologise again. Try not to rub the chalk away." she carefully closed Michelangelo's gi over her work. "The wards will remain for a short time after the mark has gone. But the better the marks are preserved the stronger the wards will be."

"Got'cha." Michelangelo forced his hand away from scratching his face. He jumped out of the van, careful not to scuff the marks in the dirt, and swept Heiji up to sit on his shoulder. "Looks like it's a bit of a walk into town, it's alright for me to carry him there, yeah?"

"Hai. It's only when people can see you that you need to stay separated."

"Cool. C'mon squirt, let's go hit the town!"

Raphael blocked Michelangelo's path.

"_Take Donnie with ya._" he muttered.

"_You sure, Raph? If you guys get attacked..._"

"_An' if this voodoo of hers don't work..._" countered Raphael.

"_Uh, yeah. That could be not a lotta fun._" agreed Michelangelo, with a worried glance up at Heiji.

"_If we do get attacked here, we're pretty well fucked anyway. I'll keep an eye on things. You know I won't let anythin' happen to Splinter an' Leo. Not unless it's over my dead body._"

"_Yeah. That's what worries me._" Michelangelo admitted with a lop-sided grin. Raphael gave a grunt and a brief, crooked grin of his own.

"_Get outta here, ya nimrod._" he waved his brother away, no vitriol in his tone. "_Hey Donnie! Field-trip time!_" Raphael called, Donatello quickly jumping down out of the truck. "_Keep those two brats outta trouble, will ya?_"

* * *

Staying hidden in the shadows on the outskirts of the marketplace Donatello grimaced as Michelangelo again 'missed' his hand signal to wrap things up. Despite his relief that it was his brother being called upon to mingle so openly, certain he'd never be able to pull off being so relaxed and jovial under similar circumstances, Donatello couldn't help thinking that Michelangelo was taking advantage of the situation. And the fact that he knew full well who would get stuck having to carry most of the groceries and treats back up the mountainside.

Donatello wasn't wrong.

With Heiji snuggled in his arms, the boy clutching his new little silver windmill in one hand and the remains of a half-eaten sweet bean bun in the other, Michelangelo made it back to the van first. Cautiously peering through the trees before approaching the vehicle, Michelangelo felt his heart leap into his throat as he spotted the kunoichi slumped against the base of a tree near the rear of the van, only her legs visible to him.

The distinctive crinkle of aluminium from the far side of the van had Michelangelo gently hushing Heiji's soft whimper as he eased a nunchaku out of his belt. Raphael rounded the van, sai ready in hand. He gave a low, long belch as he tossed his empty in the back and rummaged quickly about for a fresh Red Bull before starting another slow circuit of the van.

Michelangelo slouched briefly in relief, tucking his 'chuck away to cradle Heiji's head so the boy couldn't look towards the kunoichi. Just in case something untoward had happened to her.

As he carried the boy closer Raphaels' head snapped up in their direction before Michelangelo broke the cover of the trees, Raphael quick to drop the threat of his sai.

"_Where's Donnie?_" demanded Raph by way of greeting.

"_He's comin'._" grinned Michelangelo, tipping his head in Donatello's direction as his brother came partially in to view lugging the bags up the slope.

"_So it was all good then?_"

"_Yeah. Um, how'd things go here? No trouble?_" prompted Michelangelo, keeping his tone casual.

"_Nah. No real trouble._" shrugged Raphael. "_Nothin' I couldn't handle._"

"_Uh huh._"

Michelangelo deposited Heiji in the back of the van and made sure to stand where his bulk blocked the boys' view of the clearing as the boy scampered over to kneel beside his father.

"_Why's she sat over there then?_" he asked blithely.

"_'cos I want that bitch where I c'n see her. Fucked if I was gonna let her sit inside where she could be doin' who knows what while I kept watch on the perimeter._"

"_So you asked her nice, yeah?_"

Raphael gave a derisive snort.

"_Nice as I could. Don't worry; I didn't have ta do more than tell her to move her friggin' ass. She thinks she's all that. But she knows I could take her in a fight, no worries. 'sides, figured this way her little buddies would find her first, if they turned up. Give me a chance to book it with the van while they were busy killin' her. Did her... mark, or whatever the fuck that was, work?_" he asked, waving a hand at the remnants of dried chalk slurry on Mike's cheek.

"_Heh, yeah! Worked a treat!_" Michelangelo couldn't suppress his excitement. "_It was so awesome! Being able to walk about in the open, just like everybody else. Right out in the sunshine! There was this one old lady did a bit of a double-take. But other than that, it was like no-one could look right at me. We gotta get her to let you try it. Hey, I know! Once this mission is all done we take her to Tokyo, get her to mark us both and we hit a bar. Or a nightclub! What d'ya reckon?!_"

"_You serious?_" deadpanned Raphael.

"_Why not?! Hey, how about a strip club?_" Michelangelo cajoled with a wink, giving his brother pause. Raphael gave the idea due consideration before clenching his resolve to state,

"_No._"

"_Aww, why not?_"

"_'cos there ain't no girl worth lookin' at enough to want that bitches' spit on my face._"

"_Tch, spoil sport._" Michelangelo grumbled lightly.

Donatello shoved between his brothers to dump the grocery bags in the van.

"_Thanks for all your help guys._" he uttered in sincere sarcasm as he nabbed a few apples and a can of soft drink. He stalked away to eat his breakfast under the trees and enjoy the dabbled sunlight, bird song and serene mountain vistas. Michelangelo and Raphael shared a brief, sheepish glance before ransacking the bags for themselves.

Munching on a pork bun Raphael hefted the large bag of cucumbers over to the kunoichi, dumping it on the ground beside her.

"There ya go. Now do what ya gotta do to save Hattori. And do it quick." he smirked at the scowl she shot at him.

"Baka. Be careful with these. They're no good to us bruised." She dug through the bag quickly before giving a terse nod of satisfaction. "Take them back to the van. And be careful with them." she instructed, holding the bag up for him to take.

Raphael bit down on his first impulse and snatched the bag instead.

"Aren't ya gonna use 'em?" he demanded.

"Hai. But first we have to get there."

"Get where?"

"To... the home of an old friend."

"Yeah, that's made everything crystal fuckin' clear now. Thank you." Raphael declared, dripping sarcasm.

Gathering up the large stick she'd been working at stripping the bark from, the kunoichi managed to get back on her feet, using the stick as a makeshift crutch to keep her weight off her shattered leg.

"We need to get moving." she asserted, already making her way to the van. With an angry shake of his head Raphael went to fetch Donatello.

A few minutes later Raphael was side-eyeing the kunoichi in disdain as she settled herself in the passenger seat beside him.

"So where the hell we goin', huh?" he grunted.

"Are you a good driver?" asked the kunoichi levelly.

"The fuck? Yeah. Yeah, I'm a damn good driver. What of it?"

"As soon as we move the wards will break. You need to stay alert."

"Yes, ma'am." Raphael ground out in a sarcastic snarl. "And where would Madame like to go?"

"Continue along this track. I think it should take us close."

"You think?!" Raphael accused. He fired up the engine regardless, swore as he crunched the gears and reversed out of the copse to get back on the track. The kunoichi closed her eyes the moment the van moved.

"Hai." she answered calmly with the obvious. Jamming the van into forward gear Raphael decided continuing their conversation wasn't worth the frustration.

* * *

A glance in the rear-view confirmed only Michelangelo and Heiji were still awake, playing thumb wars as best they could as the van bounced through what Raphael was certain was just a natural corridor in the trees.

They had travelled for miles on the stone lined track before the kunoichi had directed him to turn off onto what he'd considered was little more than a criss-cross of winding goat trails. Convinced she was just randomly directing him on which forks to take since she kept her eyes closed the entire time. But the ruts had dwindled away to nothing after a few more miles and Raphael had found himself hoping to catch sight of a damn goat. Or any other kind of proof anything else had actually travelled this way in the past century.

The van laboured up another slope, cresting the peak to sputter to halt.

"_Fuck, fucking fuck!_" Raphael pounded the steering wheel in frustration before fiddling with the ignition wires, knowing his effort was futile.

"Problem?" asked the kunoichi levelly, turning to face him despite keeping her eyes closed. Raphael found himself wishing she wouldn't do that. It was creepy.

"We're outta damn gas. And, just so ya know Miss Blind-friggin'-sight, we're in the middle of fucking nowhere. I don't think there's another person around for at least thirty damn miles."

"There isn't." she confirmed softly.

"So what the hell do we do now, huh? No way we're gonna get to this buddy of yours before Hattori croaks. Hey!" he protested as she ignored him to slide out of her door and hobble into the trees. Not wanting to let her out of his sight Raphael quickly leapt out his door to race after her. Almost skidding past her as she stopped abruptly and over the cliff-face that dropped away a few meters from the road, camouflaged by the thick-set trees.

"Damn it." he cursed his tired eyes for his near miss, rubbing his face roughly in an attempt to clear his head and ease his headache. Blinking his eyes open he couldn't help but gasp at the sight of a huge ruin dominating the opposite mountainside. The buildings had burned down almost to the ground, long enough ago that the forest had already staked a firm claim back upon the whole area. Only a few sections of crumbling stone stood above the saplings as proof some of the buildings had been at least two or three stories tall.

"Is that where your friend lives?" Raphael rubbed his eyes again as he noticed hers were open. Sure his vision must be playing tricks since he was certain the kunoichi hadn't opened her eyes once while they had travelled in the van.

"No. No creature you'd want to meet lives there now. It's a cursed place." she murmured.

"Then it's not a lot of help to us right now, is it." Raphael pointed out derisively.

"We need to follow the river."

Raphael followed her gaze to the bottom of the valley. He breathed a sigh of dread resignation as he surveyed the tangled undergrowth that almost hid the narrow, rocky river from his sight.

"You just love makin' things easy, don't ya."


End file.
